


War of the Champions

by LightSage89



Series: Jak and Daxter Novelization [2]
Category: Jak and Daxter
Genre: Almost AU, Angry Jak, Ashelin Starts to Develop Feelings For Jak, But It's One Sided In My Story, F/M, Jak 3 Novelization, Jak Backsliding, Jak/Keira Sexual Content, NSFW, Seriously There Are So Many Changes, Universal War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-06
Updated: 2018-08-19
Packaged: 2019-06-22 15:52:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 45
Words: 129,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15585366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LightSage89/pseuds/LightSage89
Summary: Five months after the Metal-Head Leader's death, and all Jak wants is to start living his own life. But fate has different ideas when he is thrown into a war that only has two outcomes: victory or death. Sequel to 'Back To You'.





	1. The Dream

**Author's Note:**

> This is the story of Jak 3 with a lot of changes. (CoughthekissthePrecursorscough) This one starts very much like Jak 3 but will soon that it's own turn down a different road as Jak is presented a new challenge. I highly suggest you read 'Back To You'! I was surprised when it ballooned to a whooping 45 chapters! Anyway, this story will not begin in the Wasteland, but several months before Jak's banishment. It has been exactly five months since the end of 'Back To You'. So that means it is March 11, 2270 in Jak's world. (About three years since Jak arrived in Haven City and one year since he escaped prison.) Anyway… I hope that you will not be disappointed with this story!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Act 1: THE WASTELAND

_It was a dark room, filled with Dark beings. These monsters stood around a table, looking down at the pile of mutilated flesh before them._

_"I do not know." One Dark being said to another. "This creature is badly injured. Its body is nothing but a lump of useless flesh. It is a miracle it survived at all."_

_"Are you saying that we, with all of our technology, can not fix it?" One demanded._

_"Of course we can fix it." Another snapped. "But it will require total cybernetic transplants. But it is possible… for the most powerful creatures in the universe."_

_The sad creature on the table cried out as another wave of pain shot through it. Dark Eco cackled over its mutilated flesh._

_"How can we be sure that this one is The One?" The first Dark monster asked. "We have an awful lot at stake on this battle."_

_"Silence!" The obvious Leader of the group ordered, and the rest fell silent instantly. "We know because this pitiful mass of flesh before us is the opposite of the Precursor's pet, his negative, his foil. And, once we are done with this… thing… the playing field will be leveled. In fact… I would say the odds will favor us!"_

_Another Dark creature nodded in agreement, whether he actually agreed with the Leader or he was just agreeing so he wouldn't get killed, it will never be certain. "Begin the cybernetic transplants."_

_The Dark monsters closed in around the table. A scream tore from the creature on the table as the beings began to experiment on it._

* * *

Several million miles away, a young elf sat up from his bed with a start. Jak Mar sat in a small room in the back of the Naughty Ottsel, where he had been living for several months.

Jak gasped for air, as if he had been running a marathon. His bare chest heaved as he tried to recover from the dream that he just had. He ran a hand over his face and found it slick with sweat.

Jak sighed. "It was that dream… again." For the same dream had been tormenting him for days. It was like the dreams he used to have about the Metal-Head Leader, except he wasn't dreaming about his own pain, but somebody else's.

Why? Why was he having this reoccurring dream? It seemed, who ever it was, had survived a terrible accident and the strange creatures were trying to save him… only to participate in a battle against… someone else.

Jak got up from the bed and wandered aimlessly toward a mirror, gazing at his reflection. There was a time when he would look into a mirror and see the image of his inner-demon, but now it was almost normal, as it had been since the Precursor cured him. But, he could still see a shadow of his Darker self. It was like someone had a double exposure of himself and Dark. The elf ignored the Darkness and concentrated on his real face.

A pale elf of twenty years stared back at him. Jak ran a hand through his sweat-dampened hair. Something was happening… somewhere out there. And, whatever it was, he was sure it meant him nothing but trouble.

Suddenly, there was a loud banging on the door and Jak spun around. "What?" He yelled.

"Jak, you awake?" Then Jak's oldest friend, an Ottsel named Daxter who owned the bar, opened the door and brilliant sunlight shone in. The sunlight nearly blinded the elf. He must've slept later than he thought.

Jak covered his eyes. "Ugh! Now I am."

"Jeez, you look terrible." Daxter commented. "You sure you're not sick?"

"I'm positive." Jak said. "I don't ever want to get sick again! This last year has had more than enough sickness in it to last me a lifetime!"

"Comas… puking… almost dying…" Daxter counted the symptoms off on his fingers. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Hey, you'd better get a shirt on cause your _girlfriend_ is here to see you."

If the dream, Daxter, or the sun failed to wake Jak up, he was awake now. "Keira?" He began to rush around, trying to find a decent shirt in the general chaos of the room. Finally, he found something wearable, by men's standards. (If it smells okay, then it's good.) Jak pulled the black shirt over his head. "I'm good." Jak said.

He walked passed Daxter in a rush to see his girlfriend of five months.

Keira was waiting for him in the main bar area. She ran up to Jak without a word as he entered. She wrapped her arms around Jak's neck and planted a kiss on his lips. Jak gladly returned both.

Daxter watched the two, looking slightly uncomfortable. He had long ago told Jak he didn't like the idea of their relationship. While he had rooted them on for a bit, he soon became worried. He said they had been friends for years and a romantic relationship would only complicate it. Daxter worried mainly about them breaking up. If they did, he'd be friends with two people that most likely would be mad at each other. And if they stayed together they would become embarrassing to be seen with in public. So far, his prediction had turned out to be correct. Jak wasn't a very romantic person by nature, but when he was with Keira…

But Jak himself wasn't concerned with the fact that he and Keira had been good friends before all this happened. The way he saw it… they already knew everything about each other. Keira defiantly understood him more than any other person alive. He had told her everything… well… almost everything. He still had not told her that he was Mar's last living descendant. But, all it took was some time, a lot of patience and BAM! The perfect relationship.

Not that they had a perfect track record, by all means. Jak had once struck Keira so hard that it forced her to the ground and she had her own share of slaps and name-calling. But they had forgiven each other for all that crap. That didn't matter anymore. All that mattered was their love.

Finally, the couple pulled apart and Keira seemed to look at her boyfriend for the first time. "Oh my God, Jak, you look terrible."

Jak attempted to make it sound like his appearance was no big deal. "Well, I sort of expected a 'Oh my God! You're handsome!' But I guess…"

"No, Jak. Leave the jokes to Daxter." Keira said. "What happened?"

"Somewhere private?" Jak suggested. Keira nodded. They left the bar and went back to Jak's room. They walked in and Jak shut and locked the door to prevent Daxter from interrupting. Keira took a spot on Jak's bed and Jak took a place next to her. He took a deep breath. "I've been having these dreams lately."

"Dreams? What kind of dreams?" Keira asked.

"Like the ones I used to have about the Metal-Head Leader." Jak said. "They're of suffering and pain."

"You?"

"No, it's not me. It's… someone else." Jak said. "But I can feel his pain like it was mine."

"What… what does it feel like?" Keira asked, concerned and leaning against him for emotional support.

Jak's skin quavered under her touch. "Like I was being tortured again."

"Oh Jak…" Keira sighed. She recalled the day that he gathered up the strength to tell her about his torture sessions. It made her sick to her stomach how Jak said that he sometimes wanted to die… if only to end the pain. Now she truly understood the reason for his transformation. If he hadn't adapted, he wouldn't have survived. "But, like you said, it isn't your pain."

"I know." Jak said. "But I still have a bad feeling about this. My last reoccurring dreams almost came true, what if these dreams are just as real?" He paused and looked at Keira. "I'm tired of being a hero. I risk my life everyday for thousands of nameless and faceless people that I don't even know! And the only thing I get in return is pain and hatred."

The people of Haven City hated him and he knew it. How could they not? He did have the highest number of counts of murder for a single person in known history. There were even a few deaths that he had nothing to do with that were being blamed on him. Vin, for example. And he was the prime suspect in every murder case that has happened for the last five months, even though Jak had not killed anyone since Kor. Jak figured that it was only Ashelin that kept him out of jail. She had pardoned all of Jak's crimes that occurred during the Metal-Head war.

But the worst of it was the newly formed Haven City Council. It's self-proclaimed leader, an ugly old man named Count Veger seemed to make it his personal mission to get Jak thrown into prison. But, as long as Ashelin kept Jak under her protection and Jak didn't do anything stupid like mass-murder a bunch of guards, he seemed to be safe. What did Veger care that Jak had practically single-handedly saved Haven from the Metal-Heads?

Ashelin told him Veger was a devote believer in the Precursors. He also happened to believe that Dark Eco was an evil substance. Therefore, anything 'tainted' by Dark Eco, like Jak, was nothing short of an abomination that should be destroyed. This also explained why Veger kept calling Jak a 'tainted and unholy vessel' every chance he got.

Jak pulled out of his thoughts and looked down at Keira. Big mistake. Here they were… they were on his bed… locked in his room…

Lust that had been plaguing Jak for months consumed him. Ever since the defeat of the Metal-Head Leader, Jak had to fight these new feelings for Keira. He felt the same way before, of course, but he held himself back, telling himself it would be terrible on the both of them to join in a physical manner when his life was in jeopardy. Now that he wasn't dying anymore, that excuse was gone, and the urge to give into his lust grew harder and harder to fight.

However, Keira seemed to have little or no interest in sex. She had not spoken a word about it in months. This was quite literally driving the poor elf crazy. He found himself having extremely erotic fantasies and staring at certain parts of Keira's anatomy. What worried Jak the most was that one day he would snap and take Keira, against her will if need be… Precursors forbid.

Keira looked up at Jak and found him staring blankly at her… again. "Jak, are you alright?" She asked.

Jak snapped out of his trance. "What? Oh yeah… I'm fine." But, what Jak was thinking was: _No! I'm not fine! If only you realized how much I want you, Keira! God, the lust is driving me crazy!_ But, for now, he kept his thoughts inside.

"Oh, okay." Keira said. She stood up and walked to the door. She unlocked it and half-stepped out. She looked back at Jak. "I love you." She said.

 _Then why won't you do it with me?_ Jak kept this thought inside too. She'd probably think he was a pervert like Daxter. Instead, he smiled. "I love you too."

She left. Jak held his head in his hands. "God, Keira, I don't know how much longer I can wait."


	2. The Invasion

Jak left his room a short while later after he had composed himself. He walked backed into the bar, where Daxter immediately hailed him. "Hey, I almost forgot. Ashelin called. She wanted you to get over to the Palace right away."

Jak sighed. "I'll just go now. It's not like I have anything better to do." He started to walk out, but then he paused and looked around at the small rodent. "You coming, Dax?"

"Uh… I'm gonna have to take a rain check on that, buddy." Daxter said. "No doubt Ashelin's got an impossible mission for you and… ever since the Precursor cured you…"

"Dax! I'm not handicapped!" Jak said, a little louder than necessary. "I just don't have some of the abilities that I used to." It was true. When the Precursor cured Jak, it saved his life, but it took away many of the abilities that Jak had found useful. He lost his ability to heal even fatal wounds and the ability to make himself near invincible. But, on the other hand, he had gained a complete immunity to the harmful effects of Dark Eco. He could bathe in the stuff without any harm… not that he'd want to. But being unable to heal was a pain. Wounds that would normally close up in seconds now had to heal the natural way… which could take days. "Healing was the only real useful ability that I lost." Jak finished.

"Yes, but what if you get really hurt?" Daxter said. "Now you're just a mortal again."

"I was never anything but mortal." Jak pointed out. "I'm just harder to kill then most.

* * *

Jak walked into the Throne room of the Palace some time later. Two Guards that were on-duty in the throne room stepped forward to check the man for weapons. But they stopped and backed away when they saw who it was. There was no point checking Jak for weapons. He was always armed and he was not without enemies.

Ashelin looked down at Jak from the throne, then got up and walked down to his level. They were friends, so she didn't have to be the 'high and mighty governess' around Jak. Still…

"We've got a problem." Ashelin said gravely. "I've just discovered that the doors in the Underport that the Metal-Heads used to get into the City are still wide open. We've finally finished rebuilding the City, but if the Metal-Heads get in again…"

"They would destroy the progress we've made." Jak finished.

"Exactly." Ashelin said. "I've got a group of Guards loyal to me guarding the hole to make sure no Metal-Heads get through, but this is only a temporary measure. I need you to take the Ruby Key down there…" She handed Jak the Ruby Key to the City. "And seal those doors. The Guards are expecting you, and they are loyal to me, so I wouldn't expect any trouble from them."

Jak nodded. "That's good to know. Don't worry, Ashelin, those doors are as good as closed." Jak said confidently. He turned and walked out of the Throne Room.

* * *

Jak had worried that the Dark Room of his dreams was real. Well, he was quite astute as the room was very real. Back in this room, the sad creature on the table had finally woken up after the long experimentation. "Where—where am I?" It asked with a slightly mechanical voice.

A Dark Being watched from nearby, it didn't look at all concerned that the creature just woke up. "It doesn't matter." It said. "What do you know about one called 'Jak'?"

The creature's mechanical yellow eyes narrowed dangerously. Rage filled him. How could he remain calm at the mention of the name of his mortal enemy? "Jak? I'll kill him!"

"No doubt… eventually." The Dark Being said. "We will help you with that."

The creature stared at its mechanical arms and hand. "What happened to me?"

"The one called Jak Mar did this to you." The Dark Being explained. "There was a Dark Eco accident, and we saved you."

"Why?"

"We saved you because we need you." The Dark Being said. "You see, we too want to see that Channeler dead, but myself and my kind are not allowed to touch him. I would explain why, but it might be too much for your puny brain." The creature growled. "But you have no such restrictions put against you. You can destroy him. We will give you the power to kill him, and you will be the one to choke the life out of him."

The creature thought about this for a second. It was a tempting deal. To get back at the one boy who made his life a living hell. "What do you want me to do?"

"Eventually kill the Channeler." The Dark Being said. "But, for now, we'll settle for ruining his life. His fate already hangs in the balance in Haven. A single push in the right direction will agitate the City into a rage at him. If you do exactly what we say, you'll beat Jak down so low, he'll wish he were dead."

"I'll do… whatever you ask me to do." The creature said.

The Dark Being laughed manically.

* * *

Jak moved to the place where the Underport doors were located. He had never seen these doors, but Sig had described them as giant stone doors. He moved towards the doors. The double stone doors stood at least thirty feet tall. It had intricate cravings on its face, carvings of Precursors, Metal-Heads and even some elves.

Curious, Jak studied the carvings. The larges carving of all was in the very center of the large doors. It seemed to depict two groups of Precursors that stood on either side of the door, almost like opposing armies. Two glorified figures stood in the center of the armies, both were elves. Jak studied the two figures. One was completely unfamiliar, while the other was very familiar. One of the elves was Mar himself. Giant Precursor letter scrolled across the top that read: 'The War to End all Wars: The War of the Champions'

Jak stared. He had heard the phrase 'The War to End all Wars' before. The Metal-Head Leader had said that it was coming. But he only puzzled over this strange carving for a short while because he noticed something was wrong. For one thing: he looked all around the room, even behind the doors, but the Guards that Ashelin said were there were gone. Then he saw it… a blood smear on the ground, and it wasn't Metal-Head blood… it was Elvin blood.

Jak's soldier sense heightened. This wasn't right at all. If the Metal-Heads had broken through… where were they?

Suddenly, without any warning at all, a powerful blow landed on the side of Jak's head. He was knocked out instantly, and lucky that his skull had not shattered.

A new figure had suddenly appeared behind Jak and had delivered the crippling blow. He now stood over the elf's prone form. "Pathetic…" It hissed. "I could kill you so easily right now! But you happen to have good insurance." The being moved over to the wall, touched it briefly, leaving a Dark Eco stain… all part of the plan. As he did this, several Metal-Heads moved through the doorway. "The City lies ahead." Several of the Metal-Heads moved towards Jak's prone form, a hungry look in their evil yellow eyes. "Touch him, and I'll kill you all myself!" The being suddenly roared.

The Metal-Head backed away from the elf, hissing resentfully. But they made a wide circle around the Dark being and moved towards the City.

"Move as many of your troops into the City before he wakes up." The Being said to a Metal-Head commander, who nodded, and directed more Metal-Heads through to the City. "If everything goes as planned, his life will be ruined within the next few months. And, remember, this man is _not_ to be harmed!" The Being pointed down at Jak. "My masters would be… most upset if he died before it was time."

* * *

(Later)

Jak woke up with a groan. His head hurt terribly and he could barely think. He held his head with his hand. "Ugh… where am I?" He wondered out loud. Then, it all seemed to come back to him. "Shit!" He swore. The doors needed to be closed before the Metal-Heads could break through. He looked up and the doors and gasped.

Someone… or something had pulverized the doors until they were nothing more than a mass of pebbles. There was no way the doors were going to get closed now.

"No!" Jak cried. And there was another problem that came to mind almost instantly. How long had he been knocked out?

Jak forced himself off the ground. His head spun and it almost made him lose his balance, but he forced himself to stay on his feet. "No…" He ran down the hallway as fast as his pounding head would allow. He moved out into the City and knew instantly that something was wrong.

Screams of pain filled the air, Elvin screams. Metal-Heads were everywhere. Several Metal-Heads passed within two feet of the distraught elf, but they seemed to take no notice of him, as if he were invisible. Instead, they ran past him and tore open some nearby innocent. Blood spilled on the ground. It brought back memories of his own rampages… the blood and the death…

Jak turned circles, unsure of what to do. He knew instantly that this looked extremely bad for him. "Oh my God! What's happening?" Jak yelled at no one in particular.

It only took ten minutes… ten minutes for the Krimzon Guard to find Jak. He considered fighting, for he thought he was going to get arrested, but that would make an already bad situation worse. They hurried the young elf to the Palace where Ashelin waited.

Jak couldn't look at her. "Jak!" She yelled. "What the hell happened down there? Hundreds of Metal-Heads got past you into the City!"

"I—I don't know." Jak said. "I went down there like you asked me. I must've been knocked out, or something, because I didn't remember anything after that. I woke up and the doors were destroyed…"

"Jak, do you realize how bad this looks?" Ashelin asked. Jak nodded. He knew how bad this looked. "You're not even hurt. I know you lost your healing powers, so any wounds you might have gotten would still be visible. But you don't seem hurt at all. How do you explain that?"

"I—I don't know." Jak answered numbly.

"Was Daxter there? Having a witness would defiantly help you out." Ashelin said. "Can he back your story?"

"No." Jak answered. "Daxter was back at the Naughty Ottsel."

Ashelin shook her head. "I don't know what to do, Jak. If the Council ever realized you were down there alone when the Metal-Heads broke through…"

"Ashelin, you know me! Why would I let Metal-Heads into the City?" Jak demanded.

"I'm sure Veger will come up with plenty of reasons." Ashelin said.

"You believe me, don't you?" Jak asked.

"Of course I do." Ashelin assured him. "But you've got to admit this looks bad. Look, I'll do my best to cover this all up… to hide the fact that you were down there… but I can not guarantee your safety forever."

"Worst case scenario… what happens?" Jak asked.

Ashelin sighed. "The Council finds out that you were down there. You get tried for High Treason, and executed."

"Great." Jak growled.

"No one can know about this." Ashelin said. "No friends, no family… not even Daxter or Keira. Jak? And in case anyone asks, you were outside the City taking care of a Metal-Head problem when they broke in. I don't know how long the story will hold, but it's your best bet."

"And what about the Meta-Heads?" Jak asked.

"We'll have to destroy them." Ashelin said. "Our first move should be to destroy they Underport… that way they can't bring in reinforcements."

"Then what?"

"I'm going to need a lot of help from you, Jak." Ashelin said. "If you put your heart and soul into fighting the Metal-Heads, even if the people discover that you were down there, they might believe that it was an accident. And don't ever look guilty. Because then people will begin to suspect you."


	3. Metal-Head Attacks (Or Not)

Jak ran out of the Palace. Metal-Heads and innocent civilians crowded the streets as the people attempted to rush to safety, and the Metal-Heads caught up to them and tore them to pieces. Strangely enough, instead of the Metal-Heads turning and attacking Jak as they should, they backed away from him, their ugly maws lowered as if afraid to meet the elf's eyes. Wherever he walked, the monsters instantly cleared a path for him. However, he didn't have time to ponder this mystery right now.

Only one thought ran through his mind now. Keira… was she safe? He headed off towards the Slums at a run, Metal-Heads parting almost respectfully along the way.

* * *

Keira was afraid. She had heard from a passing Guard that Metal-Heads had gotten into the City, but she couldn't believe it… that was until she saw one with her own eyes.

She was locked inside the small house with Carla, a kind woman who took Keira off the street three years ago and put a roof over her head. She was also highly concerned with Jak and Keira's relationship, for she had been the first to, in earnest, encourage their relationship. But while she seemed simple on the surface, there was an entire world shut up inside the woman. She was, in secret, the true Queen of Haven City, though none knew except Keira.

Anyway, they were locked up inside Carla's house, both listening to the screams of the poor people outside who had been unable to find shelter in time. Suddenly, someone began to pound on the door.

"Keira! It's Jak! Let me in!"

Keira gasped for joy and ran over to the door. She opened the door, pulled the elf inside, and then quickly shut and locked the door behind him.

After sharing a quick embrace that spoke volumes of how much they were worried about each other, Keira pulled out of Jak's arms. "Jak, what's going on?" She asked.

"Metal-Heads got into the City." Jak explained quickly. "I was sent out of the City to take care of a small Metal-Head problem, came back, and found it like this. I came straight over to see if you're alright."

"I'm fine." Keira assured him.

Jak looked around the small house. "It's not safe here. I need to get you to the Palace. You'll be safe there. Your… friend can come too if you want." Jak turned to head towards the door.

"Wait! What about the Metal-Heads?" Keira asked.

"Don't worry about the Metal-Heads." Jak said simply.

"What? 'Don't worry'?" Keira repeated. "If I recall correctly, you didn't want me to go to the Metal-Head Nest because it was too dangerous. Why the sudden change?"

"Because you're with me." Jak said.

"How is that any different than the Metal-Head Nest?" Keira asked.

"Because, for reasons that are beyond me, I have walked all the way over here and I haven't been attacked by a Metal-Head once."

"Not even once?" Keira asked, amazed. She had never heard of a Metal-Head failing to attack someone that was in the immediate area. Jak must've passed a hundred Metal-Heads on the way to Carla's house… and to not even be attacked once.

"Not even once." Jak confirmed. "Hell, they even make way for me to pass through!" He paused. "We've got to go now. Come on. Your friend too. Just stay close to me." Keira pressed herself up against her boyfriend and he put his arm around her. "And Carla… stay close and don't lag behind." Jak ordered. Then he opened the door with the hand that wasn't around Keira, and moved out into the street.

Metal-Heads were busy tearing anyone on the street apart. However, they looked up as Jak approached and backed away from the elf. Jak moved in the direction of the Palace and a path through the carnage was instantly opened up. Several Metal-Heads were even dragging dead bodies out of Jak's way.

"Oh my God…" Keira whispered. "I can't believe it."

"You're telling me." Jak said, and they slowly began to move down the street.

All the way to the Palace, Jak's mind was in turmoil. Why were the Metal-Heads treating him with respect when he had killed their leader? Shouldn't they hate him? He should be getting mobbed right now, not treated with practical reverence! Jak had no idea what was going on, but the terrible sense of foreboding filled him. He knew that the situation was looking worse for him.

"Keira, I need you to do something for me… you too, Carla." Jak said suddenly.

"Anything." Keira swiftly promised.

"Sure." Carla said.

"I need you two to keep this quiet… how the Metal-Heads are treating me."

"Why?" Keira asked, confused.

"Because I'm already on the Council's hit list." Jak said. "All they'd need is one piece of evidence…"

"I don't understand…" Keira said. "Is not getting attacked by Metal-Heads illegal?"

"No. But you can bet the Council will make it illegal."

* * *

They made it to the Palace with no incident, which was surprising considering that people were being attacked and killed all around them. The door of the Palace opened for Jak and shut alarmingly fast after he and the rest of the group had passed through. This was a security measure to keep out the Metal-Heads.

Torn was waiting in the main entrance hall and confronted Jak immediately. "Where the hell have you been? The whole City's going to hell in a hand basket, and you're off visiting Keira?"

"For your information…" Jak growled. "I was bring her to the Palace so she'd be safe."

"Some parts of the Palace isn't safe right now." Torn said. "It seems that the old Krimzon Guard robots have malfunctioned. They have turned against us!"

"What the hell is going on around here?" Jak demanded. "First the Metal-Heads, now the old Death Bots! I thought they were going to be destroyed!"

"They were." Torn said. "Someone must have reactivated them. This has to be an inside job. Such a massive revolt all at once?"

"What does that mean?" Jak asked.

"It means that there is a traitor in our midst." Torn said simply. Everyone glared at each other, as though suspecting that person of being the traitor. Needless to say, this caused a lot of unrest.

"Why are you looking at me?" Keira demanded of Torn, who had been glaring at her.

"Because you're here." Torn answered, which it wasn't much of an answer.

"Torn! Are you accusing Keira of being the traitor?" Jak demanded angrily. "You're the one to talk. You're the only one in this room that has ever been labeled a traitor. Old habits die hard…"

"That was a long time ago…" Torn began angrily.

"In fact, you were a traitor twice!" Jak roared.

"Shut up!" Everything went quiet as Ashelin walked into the room. "If there is a traitor, we will use all available resources to find them." Jak could've sworn that Ashelin glanced at him.

"I'm not a traitor!" Jak roared, much to the surprise of most of the people in the room.

"No one said…" Ashelin began.

"I don't care what people say… I'm not a traitor!" Jak yelled. Needless to say, only Ashelin understood the reason for Jak's outburst.

Keira grabbed Jak's arm and pulled him aside. "What's the matter with you?" She demanded. "No one thinks you're a traitor. Torn and Ashelin trust you with their lives!"

Jak sighed. "You're right." He lied. "I guess I'm just getting a little paranoid. But the Council…"

"That dumb Council wouldn't dare touch you." Keira said.

"Nothing seems right." Jak said, mostly to himself. "There's definitely something going on here."

* * *

(Several Weeks Later, Palace Security Room)

Unfortunately for Jak, there were records of his Underport mission that could not be erased or altered to fit Ashelin's story that had been made to keep Jak safe.

It began with a guard, one of the Commanders going through some old security recordings as they were required to do every once in a while. It was dull, boring work… watching the going on's at the Palace. Mostly all they ever found were guards that were messing around on the job.

Suddenly, he came across an interesting recording that took place in the Throne room a few weeks prior. Governess Ashelin appeared to be having a conversation with a man that could only be the Dark Eco Freak… he could never mistake him, as he held a rather large grudge against the man from his days in the Krimzon Guard, as a Captain.

"Exactly." The Governess said to a statement the Freak had just made. "I've got a group of guards loyal to me guarding the hole to make sure no Metal-Heads get through, but this is only a temporary measure. I need you to take the Ruby Key down there and seal those doors. The Guards are expecting you, and they are loyal to me, so I won't expect any trouble from them."

"That's good to know." The Freak said. "Don't worry, Ashelin, those doors are as good as closed." Then the Freak turned and walked out.

Excited, the Commander looked at the time of the recording and found, to his delight, it was a half an hour before the Metal-Head attack. Count Vegar was going to be very happy about this. The Guard dived into the recordings and found later conversations between the Freak and the Governess thinking up a cover-up story for Jak. The further the Guard dived into the recordings, the tighter the perverbal noose was around Jak's neck.

Ever since the Freak had wiped out almost three-quarters of his command during his days as a Krimzon Guard Captain, ever since he killed men that were like brothers to him, he had been itching for revenge. Of course, as long as he was under the Governess' protection, no body could touch him. But now he had the means to expose him as the murderous Freak he was.


	4. The Trial of a Hero

It had been another few weeks since the day when the Guard Commander discovered the incriminating evidence against Jak. However, the elf himself was not aware of this. Instead, he was sitting in his small apartment with Daxter, who was trying to comfort his distraught friend.

Jak was truly on the brink of insanity. The want, the need, the lust that he felt for Keira was truly driving him up the wall. Well, not quite, but he was getting there.

"I can't take it anymore, Dax." Jak said miserably. "I can't stop thinking about having her for myself."

"Jak, my oldest buddy…" Daxter began. "If I know one thing about women, it's that most women tend to be more reluctant to 'give it up' than men."

"It's been over six months!" Jak said. "And she hasn't shown the slightest interest in me… that way."

"Hmm… maybe you should just ask her." Daxter suggested.

"What?"

"To sleep with you!" Daxter said. "I mean, you two are already dating. It is sort of a given."

"Yeah, I can imagine that." Jak scoffed sadly. "Hey, Keira, how are you? Good? Keira, I can't ignore my lust for you, will you have sex with me?"

"Okay… coming out of your mouth… that just sounds weird." Daxter commented.

"Not to mention embarrassing." Jak said. "I can't ask her for that. I still love her, Dax. I can't ask her for something that she's not ready to give."

"Ah… I think I've discovered the source of the problem." Daxter said with a very fake British accent.

"What?"

"You love Keira too much." Daxter said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"What?" Jak asked, incredulously. "Is that even possible?"

"Of course it is!" Daxter said. "I mean, if I were Elvin, I'd walk right up to Tess and say…"

"Stop!" Jak ordered. "For the sake of my sanity… don't."

"Yeah, what's left of it." Daxter laughed. "Listen: To score with the chicks, gun-ho you must be, my young Padawan."And then Daxter laughed. "Now here's a sight. Jak Mar, heir to the Throne of Haven City and two-time savior of the world, is really a scared little crocadog when it comes to women!"

"I'm not scared!" Jak hissed. "I just respect Keira's wishes. Which is a lot more than could be said about you, you little pervert!"

Daxter laughed at Jak's comment. "I think the word you're looking for is 'playa'." Daxter corrected. "Hey! Have you ever considered that Keira's playing 'hard-to-get'?"

"Why would she do that when we're already dating?" Jak asked.

"Don't ask me to fathom a she-elf's mind. They're crazy, you know… especially when faced with a hunky guy…"

"I hope you the Precursors you aren't talking about me." Jak said. "That just sounds…"

"Of course I wasn't talking about you!" Daxter said. "I was talking about me! Women can't resist me."

Jak was about to remind Daxter that he was a rat and that any relations that he could have with any of the women he knew would be considered 'cross-species' and is against the laws of nature when someone knocked on the door."

Jak looked up at the noise and sighed. It had to be past midnight. Who in the world would come to visit this late? Never the less, Jak got up with half a mind of yelling at whoever it was to go away. The elf opened the door.

Whatever happened next happened too quickly for even Jak to react. There was a bang and Jak was enveloped in a net. He tried to tear it off instinctively, but a shock wave tore through his body. He realized what he was trapped in: an old net that the Guards had used on him in prison to keep him under control. Krimzon Guard were now pouring into the door.

"Jak!" Daxter cried, he ran to his friend's aid, knowing full well that Jak could not get out of one on his own. But a Guard pounced on Daxter and quickly restrained him before he could even get close to helping Jak.

Suddenly… "Stop!" Torn had walked into the room.

Jak glared up at Torn from the floor. "Torn!" He roared. "What's going on here?"

"I'm sorry." Torn said. "Jak, I have orders from the Grand Council of Haven City to have you put under arrest."

"What?" The angry elf demanded. "I haven't committed a crime in months!"

"Jak, if you don't fight us, I'll get that net off you. At that time, you'll be handcuffed." Torn said.

Jak thought about this for a second. Once he was in handcuffs, he could break free. Handcuffs were nothing to him. "Fine." Jak said. "I won't fight."

Torn nodded. Several guards jumped forward. While holding the elf against the floor, just in case, they carefully extracted him from the net and cuffed his hands behind his back. Torn might have noticed the look in Jak's eyes when the Guards picked him up off the ground. "Don't try to break out of those cuffs." He said. "The Council had them especially made for your arrest, made out of Precursor Metal… indestructible… and Dark Eco won't melt them."

Jak then realized that he was truly trapped. He could never hope to break Precursor Metal. It was impossible. "Why am I being arrested?" Jak asked. "I haven't done anything wrong."

"That's not what the Council thinks." Torn said. "Jak, you are to appear before the Grand Council of Haven City and tried for High Treason."

* * *

"High Treason?" Keira demanded when Ashelin called her to inform her of the event of Jak's arrest. "What for? He's done nothing wrong!"

"I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do." Ashelin quickly said. "The circumstances were suspicious. I told him so weeks ago."

"What circumstances?" Keira asked.

"We tried to keep it a secret…"

"What?"

"Jak… he was down in the Underport when the Metal-Heads broke through. He walked out of there without a scratch. Claims he was knocked out, but there was no one down there to verify…"

"Wait, are you saying that Jak let the Metal-Heads into the City?" Keira demanded.

"No, I'm not saying that… but it does look rather bad from the law's point of view." Ashelin said. "He's here in the Palace, under guard, of course. I'm going to go see him now… I can take you with me. Torn and Samos will be there too."

"I'll be right over." Keira said.

* * *

Jak now sat in a heavily guarded room in the Palace. There had been debate whether to put him in the prison or not. Many figured that since he broke out once, he could do it again.

Finally, they decided to lock him in a heavily guarded room in the Palace. Jak was secretly glad not to be locked up in that damn prison again. He had enough nightmares of the two years he spent in that place. At least the room where he was locked was comfortable.

The door opened and Jak looked up. Ashelin, Torn, Samos, and Keira walked in. "I hope you've come to bail me out." Jak said to Ashelin.

"Jak!" Keira ran up to him and pulled the elf into an embrace. Jak, who still had his hands cuffed could do little more than bury his face in her hair.

"I'm sorry, but I can't just bail you out." Ashelin said. "The evidence against you is overwhelming."

"I'm not a traitor, Ashelin!" Jak hissed. "Why would I let Metal-Heads into the City?"

"I don't know." Ashelin said. "Veger says he has plenty of reasons." She sighed. "This on top of the New Metal-Head War?"

"How are you guys doing?" Jak asked.

"Not good." Torn sighed, and he looked like he had pulled several all-nighters. "The Metal-Heads have congregated in the Farming District and they're pushing our forces back a little more every day. And the Bots are overrunning South Town."

"How could the Metal-Heads be this organized?" Jak demanded. "Without a Leader, they're brainless! I destroyed Kor months ago!"

"That can only suggest that the Metal-Heads have rallied around a new Leader." Samos suggested.

Ashelin sighed. "The people are blaming you, Jak. Not only for our current situation, but also for the last time the Metal-Heads broke through. They believe your partnership with Krew helped the Metal-Heads get into the City."

"Partnership?" Jak demanded. "I was nothing more than hired muscle to that fat-ass." There was an uncomfortable pause. Jak stared at Samos. "You don't believe I let the Metal-Heads into the City, do you?"

Samos didn't answer for several seconds. "What's in the past is done."

"The Council is meeting tonight in an emergency session." Ashelin said. "It will double as Jak's trial."

"What?" Jak demanded. "I'm going to be tried by those idiots? They hate me!"

"I know." Ashelin said, rather miserably. "I doubt it's going to be a fair trial."

Torn stepped forward. "We need to go."

Jak glared at Torn. "Sending me off to my death, are you? I know the punishment for High Treason… death."

"No!" Keira gasped.

"Come on, Jak." Torn said, grabbing the elf by the arm and leading him out of the room, flanked by about half-a-dozen guards.

"Don't worry, Jak." Ashelin said, catching up to them and taking a place by Jak's other side. "I won't allow you to get the death sentence."

* * *

They loaded Jak into the back of a prison transport and the rest had to get in the front. Not that Keira hadn't tried to stay with Jak. She had put up quite a fight, saying that this was the time when he needed her most.

But, in the end, Torn had to force Keira bodily into the front. Jak was almost glad. He couldn't face his girlfriend now that he was labeled a traitor and possibly about to get the death sentence.

The transport took off. The back when the prisoners were kept was pretty bare, only a bench to sit on. However, almost as soon as Jak sat down there was commotion in the front. People were screaming in shock and alarm.

There were few windows in the back, and Jak stood up and looked out one. What he saw nearly made his heart stop.

The Palace… the Palace was falling over! Missiles were being launched at its stone base. Stone crumbled as the once mighty structure began to tip. Now, the only thing holding it up was the Support Towers, but they had never been designed to hold that much weight. The cables snapped and the Palace toppled over, destroying a fifth of the City instantly. Hundreds of innocents were probably buried. "Oh my God…" Jak gasped.

The transport zoomed over the remains. Jak figured that Ashelin wanted to get a closer look at the damage.

Then, under where the Palace had been… a deep, artificial hole. A hole that led somewhere underground.

Something about this deep hole caught and held Jak's attention. A suddenly urge came over him, he wanted to see what was at the bottom of that hole. Then Jak remembered that he was a hundred feet in the air, in an armored transport, with Precursor Metal handcuffs around his wrists.

"Now's not the time to get curious." Jak said to himself.

The transport veered away to head to its original destination: Jak's trial.

* * *

The Haven City Council was a large assembly that had been created shortly after Praxis' fall to run the City. It was made up of about fifty men and women from all walks of life. People, they hoped, who would be able to stop Haven City from tearing itself about.

The Council was, in a way, the true rulers of Haven and their leader, Count Veger, was its power broker. As mentioned before, Veger hated Jak with a passion for his connection with Dark Eco. But Veger could never touch Jak for he was under the protection of the governess. But he had his proof that Jak was a traitor. Now he would be able to get rid of that Dark Eco freak, the one blemish on his Dark Eco-free view of Haven City, once and for all.

The Council sat in a circular room with Veger at its head. There were others too. Ashelin and Torn were there, as was Samos, Keira, and Daxter, who had been called a short while ago. He had spent the whole time calling the Council (and Veger) several less-than-nice names. But the rest of the Council ignored him. He wasn't a member of the Council… hell, he wasn't even Elvin, so they weren't even sure if they had jurisdiction over him.

Finally, the doors opened and a group of a dozen guards led in the handcuffed Jak. He didn't look scared or guilty, there was only a look of defiance on his face, the same look he wore on the numerous occasions that he had come face to face with the Baron. He was stopped just before Veger.

"Jak, the Dark Eco Freak…" Veger said, calling him by his well-known name, possibly to remind the Council of everything else he had done when he was the Dark Monster. "You stand before this Council accused of High Treason and Fraternizing with the enemy. How do you plead?"

"I'm innocent." Jak said automatically.

Veger grinned, a smile that was full of venom. "Are you aware that to perjure is a crime?"

Jak's mouth fell open. He knew from the start this wasn't going to be the fairest trial, but didn't he have the right to say that he was innocent? Veger was basically accusing him of lying on the stand. "I'm not lying! It's the truth."

"We shall see of that." Veger said. Then he turned to the rest of the Council. "A month ago, a half and hour before the Metal-Head's attack, the charged was sent on a mission by our Governess, Ashelin Praxis." Ashelin looked away. "To go into the Underport to close the doors that the Metal-Heads used to get in here last time. And we can confirm that he went, and not only that, but he went completely alone. Then the Metal-Heads attacked and the charged emerged later, without a single scratch. Is that not true?" Vegar asked of Jak.

"Yes," Jak said. "But…"

"Tell us what you say happened?" Another Council member asked.

"I went down there…" Jak began. "And I couldn't find the Guards that Ashelin said were down there…"

"Ah, yes, the Guards." Veger said. "Governess? Can you confirm that you sent those Guards into the Underport to guard the hole?"

"Yes, I sent the Guards." Ashelin said.

"But a dozen loyal guards just… disappear?" Veger asked. "No, it would have been so easy for the Freak to kill them just like has done so many others." The Council members became to mutter to themselves under their breath.

"I didn't kill those Guards!" Jak said. "They were gone when I got there… but I did find some blood."

"Yes, my guards investigated the scene too, but blood was not the only thing they found." Veger said. "We found a Dark Eco stain on the wall. Now, can the charged answer me this question? Is there any living person on the planet that can use Dark Eco?"

Jak hesitated before answering. "Yes."

"And who would that be?"

"Me."

"No one else?"

"No one else."

"A Dark Eco-based attack… perfect for getting rid of loyal guards before you released the Metal-Heads on the City…"

"Why would I do that?" Jak demanded. "I hate Metal-Heads more than anything. Why would I help them?"

"I believe we've got the answer." Veger said. "You destroyed the Metal-Head Leader several months ago, am I correct?"

"Yes." Jak said, confused.

"Did you perform this act alone?" Veger asked. "That is, did someone help you with the actual killing?"

"No." Jak answered.

"A scientist in my service studies animals and their behaviors." Veger said suddenly. Jak blinked, talk about changing the subject. Ashelin seemed to think so to.

"Veger, is this relevant to the case at hand?" She asked.

"Yes. Now, let me continue." Veger said. "He informed me that animals with hierarchical-structured societies, like the Metal-Heads, pick the strongest of their kind as their Leader. The last Metal-Head Leader was the strongest of the Metal-Heads."

"Everyone knows that." Ashelin said. "Make your point, Veger."

"Well, doesn't it follow simple logic that the being who defeats the Leader would be even stronger?" Veger asked rhetorically. Jak stared at Veger; he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I believe that, in a loose sense of the term, the charged has become the new Metal-Head Leader!"

Needless to say, this statement caused quite a sensation. Jak's mouth dropped open. He had never heard anything so ridiculous sounding in his whole life! And he spent most of his life in Daxter's company, so that was really saying something. "Me? The Metal-Head Leader?" Jak demanded. "How is that even possible? I'm not even a Metal-Head!"

"The Metal-Heads are probably willing to overlook race in their quest for a new Leader." Veger said. "They are mindless animals that can't survive without a Leader to direct them, so they will rally around anyone who is strong enough to lead them."

Jak looked around the room. The Council was looking at him as if he'd suddenly sprout dragonfly-like wings, a tail, and a huge metal-covered body and eat them all. Then his eyes found Keira. He could see the doubt in her eyes. She had just listened to overwhelming evidence that he was a traitor and being accused of being the Metal-Head Leader. The look of doubt made him sick to his stomach. "Keira! It's not true!" Jak yelled at her.

"Silence!" Veger ordered. "Have you been attacked by a single Metal-Head in the last month?"

"No."

"Have you been in a situation that puts you in danger of being attacked?"

"Yes."

"Yet, they have not touched you?"

"Yes."

"Well, it can only be concluded that the Metal-Heads revere this Freak as their Leader and I, for one, do not think the Leader of the Metal-Head armies some be let go to gather more information against us."

"I can't control those Metal-Heads!" Jak said. "I don't know why they won't attack me, but…"

"I haven't even brought up his past criminal activities…" Veger said.

Ashelin stood up. "I have pardoned Jak of all those crimes. They are no longer on his record."

Deleting a few hundred murder charges does no bring those he killed back." Veger said. "I think it an insult to those people if their murderer were allowed to walk free." He paused, looking at Jak's unwavering face. "It is clear he shows no remorse what-so-ever for his crimes."

"You can't hold Jak accountable for crimes not on his record." Ashelin hissed. "We are focusing on the crimes that he is on trial for. I, for one, personally do not believe that Jak would help Metal-Heads."

"I'm afraid your personal beliefs do not hold a lot of weight in court." Veger said. "I do hereby find the defendant guilty of all charges!" Jak frowned, he had known he would be found guilty. All that remained was to discover his punishment.

"Hey!" Daxter protested.

Veger ignored the rodent, just as the other Council members did. "And the crimes, being numerous and heinous in nature, constitutes the death penalty." Keira was in tears at this point.

"You can't do that!" Ashelin said. "Jak's a hero, and he should be honored as one, not killed like a criminal! He saved us all from the Metal-Heads, or have you all forgotten that?"

"One good deed is not enough to redeem a man from years of wickedness." Vegar hissed.

"Though it does seem enough to condemn him." Daxter couldn't help piping up.

"Shut up, rat!" Veger rounded on the rodent. "You're lucky you're not going to join in your master's fate!"

"Master?" Daxter demanded. "Master? Jak ain't my 'master'! Jak's my friend!"

"Be quiet!" Veger yelled. "Because of the nature of the defendant's crimes and his obvious lack of remorse, I move for a life-time banishment to the Wasteland." A few people gasped, most nodded with approval. "All those in favor of exile?" A huge amount of people put their hands in the air. "All apposed?" A small amount of people put their hands in the air, between those Torn and Ashelin. Samos Keira and Daxter couldn't vote, though it won't have mattered if they did. "Good." Vegar said. "I guess it's settled. I sentence the defendant to a life-time exile to the Wasteland!"

With that, court was adjourned and Jak's fate sealed. Ashelin left her seat and ran up to Jak, and embraced the surprised elf. That is, he was more surprised by the embrace then the sentence. "Oh my God! I'm so sorry!"

"What's the big deal?" Jak asked, nervously pulling out of her embrace. "I've been out in the Wasteland before. I can live out there easy."

"Jak, you haven't been banished to the Wasteland around Haven City." Ashelin said. "The real Wasteland is a desert about an hour's flight from here. No one can survive out there for long. They say even Mar didn't stay out there for more than a few hours. They call it a banishment, but it's really a death sentence."

Keira stood a ways back from the elf. Jak turned to look at her. "You believe me, don't you?" He asked. "You don't think I let the Metal-Heads in, do you? You don't think I'm the Metal-Head Leader, do you, Keira?"

Keira seemed at loss for words. Finally, she spoke, only three words. "I'm sorry, Jak." She turned and walked out.

"Keira, wait!" Jak started after her, but was stopped by several guards. "Keira!" But she was gone.

Pain stabbed into Jak's heart. He looked away from when she had just disappeared. Then he allowed the guards to lead him away. There simply wasn't any fight left in him.

Ashelin watched Jak being led away, and then she pulled something out of her pocket. It was a homing beacon, standard-issue to Krimzon Guards. Hopefully the rumors were true and there were people who lived out in those deserts…


	5. The Desert Wasteland

A single Krimzon Guard prison transport, recently painted blue, zoomed over a barren and lifeless desert. It turned left and right as it avoided colliding with rocks, which was a pleasant change from the almost endless stretches of sand.

It slowed to a stop and landed on the burning sands. The back door opened and several guards forced a young elf out of the back of the transport. Jak let out a gasp as the heat hit him full-force like a brick wall. The transport had been air-conditioned, so the heat of the desert was almost unbearable.

Closely following the handcuffed elf was Ashelin Praxis, and shortly after her, Count Veger. Veger opened a book and began the customary lines for someone's banishment. "By order of the Grand Council of Haven City, for heinous acts and crimes against the People, you are hereby banished to the Wasteland for life." He closed the book with a sense of finality. It was now done.

Put Ashelin wasn't done yet. "This is a death sentence, Veger. There must be another way."

The ugly Count rounded on her. "Your protest was overruled. This Dark Eco Freak is dangerous!" Ashelin frowned angrily and Veger sighed. "Fine, so it seems fair… there was a river about a mile back. He might be able to make it… if it was freshwater… that is… Now drop the cargo!"

Suddenly, a new voice joined the group, and it was coming from the transport. "This is an outrage!" It was Pecker. Jak blinked in surprise. He hadn't noticed Pecker coming into the transport, and it must've been murder for him to keep quiet for an hour. "I am outraged beyond words... although I do have something to say." Suddenly, a new small animal appeared behind Pecker. It was Daxter. This made Jak even more shocked. Daxter could never keep quiet enough to hide properly. Even as children, playing 'Hide And Seek' was extremely easy. But Daxter could never ever keep quiet when Pecker was nearby. "Not everyone agrees with this ridiculous _ARK_ decree!"

"Yeah, we wanna recount!" Daxter said.

"Oh, I see you wish to join him after all." Veger said.

"Actually…" Pecker said, suddenly losing all of his steam. "We are no _that_ outraged." He started waving Jak good-bye. "Farewell, Jak! Stay out of the sun! Drink lots of water… if you can find it."

"Jak?" Daxter asked sadly.

"Go back to the City, Dax." Jak said. "At least one of us has to live to make sure they don't blow themselves up or something."

Ashelin walked up to Jak and took off the handcuffs. Jak rubbed his wrists, trying to get blood to flow back into his hands. He had those cuffs on for over twenty-four hours, which was extremely uncomfortable. "I'm sorry about this." She said. "There was nothing I could…"

"I know." Jak interrupted.

"You just stay alive, you hear me." Ashelin took Jak's hand, placed something in it, and closed his fingers around it. "That's an order. Someone will find you, I promise." Ashelin turned and walked away.

Veger stood in the transport, ready to go. The Guards went back in, as did Ashelin. "May the Precursors have mercy on your soul." Veger said, but his evil grin told Jak he didn't mean it. He hoped that the Precursors damned his soul and sent it straight to hell. The door closed and the zoomer and its passengers zoomed away, leaving a large cloud of dust in its wake. Now, Jak was alone.

Jak looked down at the thing in his hand. It was a homing beacon of some sort. Jak had no idea who would be out here to pick up the signal. There was no one living outside of Haven's walls except for the Metal-Heads… everyone knew that. But, all the same, he didn't see the harm in keeping it with him.

Suddenly, the sound of someone coughing brought Jak out of his thoughts. He looked up. Two figures were appearing out of the dust cloud, two small figures. "Daxter? Pecker?" Jak asked, hardly daring to believe.

It was indeed the annoying Ottsel, and the equally annoying moncaw. "Don't thank me for staying behind!" Daxter said. "I'm only here because you wouldn't last a second without me! Okay, tough guy, you got us into this mess, now you've got to get us out!"

"What a team we'll be!" Pecker said.

"Well, I'm not going to carry both of you." Jak growled. "Let's get moving. But… which way?" He looked left and right. All he saw were endless stretches of sand.

"That way!" Both Daxter and Pecker said, pointing in exact opposite directions.

"Oh, and I suppose you know where you're going, huh?" Pecker demanded.

"Better than you do, bent-beak!" Daxter shot back.

"AUGH!" Jak growled. "Let's just move." He said, heading off in a random direction. Daxter ran after him and Pecker took to the air.

* * *

The sun was directly overhead, so Jak couldn't even tell where the hell they were going. Not that he really cared much. He was concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other. His mouth and throat felt like a cotton ball. "So thirsty…" He gasped, in a zombie-like way. Fantasies played before his eyes, and not his usual fantasies about Keira, but water fantasies. Fantasies of swimming in ice-cold water, drinking water until he exploded…

"This… was all your stupid idea!" Pecker gasped at Daxter.

"No, this was your idea!" Daxter said. "Only a bird-brain could have thought this one up!" Daxter put on a fake Spanish accent as he imitated Pecker. "Let's go with him! We'll help together!' You mean we'll _die_ together!" Daxter paused. "I can't believe the City hates us. We _saved_ those low-lives!"

It seemed the heat had the same effect on Jak as alcohol had on Daxter… it loosened his tongue and made him more inclined to blurt things out. "That's the way the fucking world is." Jak said simply. "You nearly die to save the world and they thank you by banishing you to a fucking oven!" Jak looked up at the sky. "Damn you! Damn you all to hell!"

"Okay… Jak's lost it." Daxter gasped nonchalantly.

"I mean, a _traitor_ , I can understand! At least they had evidence against me." Jak growled. "But me? The Metal-Head Leader? Yeah right! If I could control those evil monsters, I would make them all kill themselves!"

"Amen!" Daxter said sarcastically. (The heat was getting to him too.)

"And Keira! How could she believe the stuff they said about me?" Jak asked, more sorrow in his voice then anger. "Does she still not trust me? Even after all these months?"

"Don't worry, buddy." Daxter said. "Keira will come around eventually."

"I might be dead by then…" Jak gasped again. He couldn't even spit anymore.

* * *

Jak wasn't sure how much longer he walked before the first of his companions collapsed.

Pecker's wing-flaps faltered and Jak looked back to find him lying on the desert sands. "This bird is overcooked." Pecker groaned before passing out.

Jak and Daxter stared at him a second, then Jak walked back to pick him up. "No, just leave him." Daxter said. "It'll be less to carry."

"Do you take me for some kind of monster?" Jak demanded. "I'm not leaving a friend behind. Or would you prefer me to leave you behind, as well?"

"Uh…" Daxter started, shocked by Jak's threat. "No."

"Good." Jak bent down and picked the moncaw up. "Now… let's keep going." They continued walking.

* * *

It wasn't much longer until Daxter began to act strangely. He began to lag further and further behind, causing Jak to have to wait for him to catch up on several occasions.

Finally, however, when Daxter had caught up yet again, he spoke in a 'not-so-there' way. "You know… Pecker had the right idea. A nap would be nice… just a teensy little rest." And with that, Daxter fell down to the burning sands, out cold.

"Oh no!" Jak walked over and picked him up in his other arm, the one that wasn't occupied by Pecker. "Not you too, Dax!" But Daxter didn't answer. The heat had finally gotten to him. Jak looked at the sun. He could tell now that he was moving west. But he didn't know if west would take him anywhere. Still, he had to try. He continued to move…

* * *

Jak wasn't sure how much longer he walked under the sun, but it seemed like hours. He had been carrying the unconscious animals the whole time. Suddenly, he stopped dead in his tracks. "Can't… go on…" Jak's eyes rolled up as he collapsed to the burning sands, physically unable to go on.

However, the elf was still semi-conscious. He rolled over on to his back. The sun beat down cruelly from above while the sands burned him from beneath. Jak saw darkness gathering at the corners of his eyes. "Keira…" He gasped. "Keira…" Then he passed out and he knew no more.

* * *

Sometime later, a strange group of large elves moved towards the unconscious group. The leader was an extremely tough-looking elf who wore a strange spiked crown and carried a large staff-like a weapon. He was clearly a man who knew how to survive in the desert environment.

The leader looked down at the rabble. "Looks like we've found some live ones… heh… barely." He tapped Jak with the staff. He moved slightly, but didn't come too. He bent down and took the homing beacon out of Jak's hand. "Here's the beacon we were picking up, Krimzon Guard make, I'd say. Who gave you this?" He demanded of the elf, but he made no answer. "We'll take them with us. Let's move. I smell a storm coming."

The men first picked up the animals and moved them to a nearby armored transport. But one man stopped before picking up Jak. "Sire… isn't that…?"

"My God… it is!" Another of the men said. "I've heard the stories coming out of Haven City! And Sig himself…!"

"Hmm… you're right." The leader said thoughtfully. "The one who supposedly destroyed the Metal-Head Leader. We might be able to find out how he did it… if he lives."

"Severe dehydration." One of the men said, studying the elf. "It'll be a miracle if he pulls through."

"Still, we'll take him." The leader said. They picked up the prone Jak and carried him to the transport.

* * *

The next few days mainly consisted of Jak lying in some sort of hospital, being treated for dehydration and heat stroke by several doctors. He would come to for a few seconds at a time and listen to the conversation around him.

"I don't know, my King." One of the doctors said. "He must've been out there, wandering around, for hours."

"Hours?" The man Jak assumed was the King said. "But… that's unheard of! Not even Mar… this one must be made of tough stuff!"

"There is little or no chance of survival." The man said. "Perhaps I should call the Monks…"

"No!" The King said sharply. "We do not give up anyone for dead until they stop breathing and their heart has stopped. Is he still breathing?"

"Yes, sire."

"Is his heart beating?"

"Yes, sire."

"Then he is not dead, and we will not treat him like he is." Then, Jak would pass out again.


	6. The Desert Kingdom

Jak groaned as he came too yet again. He was getting rather sick of all this. If he was going to die, shouldn't he just die? Why did he have to be stuck on the edge of life like this?

Then he heard a familiar voice. "I love water… It's so good. Desert bad."

Jak opened his eyes. "Dax?"

"Jak? Hey! You're awake!" Daxter jumped onto Jak's bed and offered the elf a cup full of water. He grabbed it greedily and downed it in a single gulp. "Hey! You drank all my water!" Daxter grumbled.

Once Jak had finished drinking Daxter's water, he gazed at his surroundings. They appeared to be in some sort of hospital. There was no sign of Pecker. "Where's Pecker?" Jak asked.

"Don't know, haven't seen him." Daxter said. "Probably died in the desert."

"So, you've come back from the dead, have you?" A new voice said, a voice that was familiar. Jak looked up and saw that it was the man who had been helping to cure him. He was a powerfully built man who must've been at least a full foot taller than Jak. He wore some sort of spiked crown on his head and he carried a huge staff that looked more than capable of bashing a Metal-Head's brains in. "And my monks were ready to pray for your soul."

Jak was confused. "Who are you? Where am I?" He asked.

"I am Damas, King of Spargus." The man introduced himself. "And you are in the Spargus sick bay."

"Spargus? A city?" Jak asked. "Wait. No one lives outside of Haven's walls… especially not a whole city!"

"Ah yes, we are the forgotten ones." King Damas said. "Haven City's scum and criminals thrown out and left to die, just as you were, Oh slayer of Metal-Head Leaders."

"How do you know…?" Jak began.

"Who you are?" Damas finished. "You're reputation precedes you, Jak. Your exploits are famous. I highly doubt that there is anyone who hasn't heard of you. But what I don't get is why Haven City would banish someone of your… talents."

"Difference of opinion with the council." Jak said sarcastically. "They accused me of letting Metal-Heads into Haven City and being the Metal-Head Leader."

"Stupid, huh?" Daxter commented. "Jak, the Metal-Head Leader? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!"

"Enough!" King Damas ordered. "Now that you've been rescued, your life belongs to the People of Spargus. And we will use it well… if it's actually worth anything."

Jak frowned angrily. "You need to work on making a better first impression."

Damas laughed. "Out here in the Wasteland, there are only two things that matter: strength and survival. Prove yourself worthy, or the Desert shall be your grave."

"Hey!" Daxter cried. "That sounds like a bad deal!"

"You are in no position to deal with me." Damas growled, but Jak had to admit he was right. If Damas was the King, then there wasn't a thing that a lowly criminal like Jak could do to change his mind. "We shall see where you stand soon enough. When you are recovered, you shall be brought to the arena, where your skills will be tested. You must be triumphant in three arena fights. Only the bravest and the strongest crawl out and are allowed to stay in Spargus. It's quite simple, really."

"A fight to the death to test my skills?" Jak asked, and then added in an undertone. "Where have I heard that before?"

"Uh… what happens to the ones that don't crawl out of the arena?" Daxter asked, almost afraid of the answer.

"Then it will be as if we never found you." Damas said shortly. No further answer was needed.

Daxter gulped loudly. "I was afraid of that."

* * *

(Haven City)

Keira sat in her father's house, crying, while Samos tried to comfort his distraught daughter, but it was no use at all.

"Oh, Daddy." She cried. "He's gone. I can't believe it. A life-time banishment! I'll… I'll never see him again!"

"Don't give Jak up for death so easily." Samos said. "I can still feel his aura from afar."

"Really?" Keira asked, looking up.

"Yes. His aura is dim over distance, but Jak still lives." Samos said. "Something in my heart tells me that Jak still has some great task to perform for the world."

"Another dangerous mission?" Keira asked. "I can't take it anymore, Daddy."

"Do you love him?" Samos asked suddenly. To tell the truth, he was rather embarrassed at the turn in conversation.

Keira didn't answer right away, and then… "Yes."

"Well, you fell in love with a man like Jak?" Samos demanded. "You've got to see that he is a man who craves action. He'll forever be on the move… right up until the bitter end. He'll never be content with a quite life."

"I know." Keira paused. "I can't stop thinking about that trial. The evidence was overwhelming…"

"Overwhelming, yes." Samos agreed. "But that does not mean 'true', by any means."

"What?"

"Do you really believe that Jak is a traitor… or the Metal-Head Leader?" Samos asked. "I personally believe this was all a set up."

"Set up?" Keira asked, still slightly confused.

"I believe there is a new Metal-Head Leader out there, and he happens to hate Jak. What better way to get revenge at Jak then to turn the City against him, along with his friends?"

"Oh God." Keira gasped.

"What?"

"Oh God, Jak must hate me!"

"What? What happened?"

"He asked me if I believed he was innocent and I… didn't answer."

"Don't worry, Keira." Samos said. "I've seen Jak treat you better than anyone, and he is certainly careful around you. He loves you, and love is not as fragile as you might think."

"Why am I even talking to you about this?" Keira asked. "You're my dad and I'm talking to you about my love life!"

"This is more painful to me then it is for you." Samos assured his daughter with a small chuckle. "Stop hiding your feelings. I mean, everyone knows. I knew for years…"

"Daddy!" Keira snapped, blushing. She walked over to a window. Usually, the old Palace dominated the skyline, but it had collapsed in the missile attack. They were still unsure of who had fired them. A single star shone through the clouds. "Wow. That's a bright star." Keira remarked. It was a large purple star.

* * *

Hundreds of miles away, Jak stood at the hospital window, looking out into the night. While days in the desert were near-unbearable, the nights were considerably nicer.

Jak ran a hand through his newly shortened hair, which had been cut during the day. Long hair was just not practical in the desert. And it was true, once the bulk of Jak's hair was gone, he felt considerably cooler.

He stared absentmindedly at a star, a bright purple one. It was the strangest star that Jak had ever seen. It could almost be confused with the green star if that were not right next to it.

For some reason, the purple light sent chills down his spine. Jak looked away. He was starting to get paranoid again. "Come on, Jak." He said to himself. "Not every little thing is out to get you."

Suddenly, out of curiosity to see how well he was recovering, the elf materialized a Dark Eco blade out of nowhere. This ability had been given to Jak during his last adventure, the ability to instantly materialize a Dark Eco weapon of any sort, like a dagger or a sword.

Jak swung the glowing purple blade experimentally, checking to see if he faltered or lost his balance. He was pleased to see, however, that his strength had just about returned. Suddenly…

"Just _what_ do you think you're doing?" A stern voice demanded.

The weapon disappeared instantly and Jak froze in a rather uncomfortable position. Jak lost his balance and fell to the floor. He looked up, it was one of the many nurses.

"Sorry." He apologized quickly. Why was he apologizing? Because his life was literally in this woman's hands. Offend a nurse, and they might slip you some poison. "I was just… uh… seeing if I was better or not."

"You are my patient, and I will tell you when you are better!" The nurse scolded. "You were at death's door just this morning for Precursor's sake!"

"But I'm feeling a lot better." Jak said. "I'm fine."

"Are you a doctor?" The nurse asked.

"No."

"Then you are not qualified to say if you are fine or not." The nurse huffed. "Now, back on the bed! Now!"

Jak rolled his eyes as he got up off the floor and sat on the bed. "Better?" He asked.

"Much." The nurse said as she walked out.

"Are you that eager to get out of here?" Daxter asked suddenly.

"It's boring." Jak said. "It reminds me of being sick again."

"Well, at least you're not puking." Daxter pointed out.

Jak shivered. "Ugh! Don't remind me! I can still feel that Dark Eco Poisoning.

"You think that was bad? It was worse to watch!" Daxter said.

Jak stared at Daxter. "Really?" He asked as a dagger appeared out of nowhere. "You want Dark Eco Poisoning? I'm sure a prick is all it will take."

"Ha! Shows how much you know!" Daxter laughed. "I've fallen into Dark Eco before, and I've lived!"

"Barely." Jak said. "If you can call being turned into a rat 'living'."

"And there's no cuter rat out there, right?" Daxter asked.

"I wouldn't know." Jak said.

Suddenly, the sound of singing filled the hospital. The haunting melody carried down the halls.

_"Nohq jhv flk iaa_

_Lv qoa olusqlv_

_Nof wh qoa nozqa zkrri_

_Jhrr?"_

"What's that?" Daxter asked.

"Someone's dying." Jak said. "Come on, Dax, don't you recognize the song? 'Svql qoa Naiq'?"

"Ah, yes. 'Into the West'." Daxter said. "Wait! Isn't that the song sung over…"

"The dying? Yes." Jak listened as the haunting, but beautiful melody traveled down the halls. The singers reached the last two lines in the chorus and something possessed Jak to join in.

_"Hrr ilkri yhii_

_Svql qoa Naiq."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoa! Stop! "Into the West" is a real song that is featured in the movie "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" It is the first song in the credits. My version only has one real change, I added the words 'Into the West' at the end of the first chorus. It just seemed better there. This song will be one of the few musical pieces that will appear in this story. The song is about dying, but being able to face death without fear. This is why I made it the song of the dying. The mystery singers sang the words: 'What can you see/ On the horizon/ Why do the white gulls/ Call?' And Jak joined in singing 'All souls pass/ Into the West'


	7. The First Arena Battle

"Well… is he well enough?" King Damas spoke to the head nurse.

"To get out of bed, yes. To fight in those god-awful trials of yours, no!" She protested.

"You always did take your patients a little too seriously." Damas said, a rare smile finding its way across his lips.

"And you are always so eager to toss young men into that arena… possibly to die." The nurse said, scrutinizing the King. "What are you looking for?" She asked.

"A warrior." The King said after a pause. "The strongest one in the world."

"There are different types of strength." The nurse said. "So, why are you searching for this warrior?"

"Do you remember that old Precursor legend? The one about the two Champions?" Damas asked.

"A little." The nurse said. "You mean the War?"

"Yes." Damas said. "Before I left Haven for good, a Soothsayer told me that a Champion would come to me and need my help."

"So… you're searching for this One?" The nurse asked. "And you believe it's this… boy? He can't be any older than twenty! What makes him so special?"

"Besides the fact that he killed the Metal-Head Leader?" Damas asked.

"Well… yeah…" The nurse said.

"I… don't really know." The King said. "He sort of reminds me of… me… at his age. Except he's accomplished much more than I have."

"Are you talking about your own fight with the Leader?" The nurse asked.

"Yes. I'd probably be dead if it weren't for you." He looked at the nurse rather fondly. His hand made its way to his neck where one could see a vicious scar like someone had slashed the King's neck open.

"Nonsense!" The nurse said. "I could not leave my King to die!"

"Though you did give me plenty of lectures about the dangers of fighting." Damas laughed.

"Not that you'd listen." The nurse said, completely serious. "My lord, what if you get killed someday?"

"I'd rather die in battle then die sick on some bed." Damas said.

"You warriors… I could never understand you." The nurse shook her head.

"And you probably never will." Damas said. "So… can he fight?"

The nurse sighed. "The patent is obviously bored with staying in bed. I don't think I can keep him here any longer. He's perfectly healthy, though I don't advise fighting so shortly after a near-death experience.

"Then he's good to fight?"

"Yes." The nurse sighed.

"Good." Damas said, turning to leave. "Send him to the arena immediately."

* * *

The nurse walked into the room where Jak had been held captive for days, growing extremely bored. "King Damas has ordered your presence in the Spargus Arena immediately." She said.

Jak looked up. "Really? So I can go now?"

"I advised against it, but the King has insisted…"

"So… uh… where is this arena?" Jak asked, for he was in a completely new and unfamiliar city.

"Just down the street." The nurse said, handing Jak a piece of paper. "Here's a map of the City. You won't find the narrow, metallic streets of Haven City here in Spargus."

"You've been to Haven City?"

"Yes, I lived there most of my life." The nurse said.

"Were you banished too?" Jak asked.

"No. I left that City behind me." The nurse said.

"Why?"

The nurse didn't say anything at first. She had sworn, along with all the others who knew Damas' secret to never speak of it. "A good friend of mine was banished and driven out of the City. I couldn't leave him out here. We, along with a large group of people, founded Spargus four years ago."

"Spargus is only four years old?" Jak asked, surprised.

"Well, sort of. We built Spargus from the ruins of a much older City. We don't know how old it is. Spargus is a small City, we only have a thousand citizens. Compare that to the millions of people in Haven City."

"Only a thousand?" Jak asked.

"Every single adult is either a someone who was banished or someone who left Haven voluntarily. There are several children who came with their parents. There are only five children that have been born here, all under four years of age."

"How do you defend yourselves?" Jak asked.

"We have a select group of elite warriors that travel out into the Wasteland to fight off the Metal-Heads and Marauders. Only the best fighters and markselves become Wastelanders.

"Great, great. So… uh… can I have my clothes back?" Jak gestured at hospital gown that he had been forced to wear. Oh yes, he had fought that with all his might.

The nurse pulled some clothes out a near-by closet and tossed them at Jak. "You're not going to wear that shirt, are you?" The nurse asked.

Jak noticed the problem with the shirt. It was long-sleeve. Not too practical for the desert. He ripped the sleeves off until he was left with something more suited for the desert.

It was then that the nurse spoke. "I've been meaning to ask you. About your back… I'm sure there's something I could do…"

"That's nothing that you'd like to know." Jak hissed, warning her to change the subject. "Besides, there's nothing you can do about it." The nurse wisely decided to drop the subject. She left.

"What was all that about?" Daxter asked.

Jak growled, it was easy to see that the nurse's comment put him in a bad mood. Jak began to put his normal clothes back on while Daxter waited. "So, you ready to get down to business?" Daxter asked.

"Passing these sorts of tests is what I do best." Jak said in a slightly cheerier mood. Finally, without a single glance back at the room, which he now hated, he walked out. Daxter chased after him and jumped up on his usual spot on Jak's shoulder.

Jak almost lost his balance. It had been so long since Daxter had sat up there, that he had lost that center. Besides… "Have you gained weight?" Jak asked. "I could've sworn you used to be lighter."

"Hey! I just spent a week being pampered by hot lady-nurses waiting for you to recover from dehydra-thing-a-ma-gig!" Daxter complained.

"Dehydration." Jak corrected.

"Whatever. So sue me if I get a little heavier." Daxter grumbled.

"Dax?"

"What, old buddy?"

"Shut up. Please." Jak said. "These people actually don't hate us. I'd hate for you to alienate us."

"You alienate people yourself." Daxter pointed out. "Because of your nasty demon… thing. Once Mr. Purple comes to visit, people get scared of you."

"Whatever." Jak said, but he knew that Daxter was right. He just didn't want to admit it. He stepped out into Spargus for the first time. The nurse had been right, there was no metal in sight. The buildings seemed to be made out of sandstone. (Big surprise.) The roads seemed to be nothing but sand. Several of the toughest elves that Jak had ever seen walked down the streets. Everyone, even the she-elves, carried a weapon. Jak instantly knew that these people would not hesitate in fighting back if he attacked them for any reason.

"Look Jak!" Daxter exclaimed. "It's your City!"

"What?"

"Set in the middle of a deadly environment, surrounded by enemies at all times, being able to fight is the only criteria for citizenship, everyone are warriors… it's like this City was made for you!"

"Yeah, right." Jak groaned. "That's the last thing I need… another City that belongs to me."

"Huh?"

"Haven, remember?"

"Oh!" Daxter said loudly, a little too loudly. "You mean how you're the P…"

"Shut up!" Jak hissed. "I don't want anyone to know that! It can only cause more trouble." Jak moved off down the sandy street towards the building marked as the Arena.

* * *

Jak walked into the Arena and gasped. As if the desert wasn't hot enough without having to put the arena inside a volcano! The ground was covered with lava with metal platforms sticking out of the red-hot molten rock.

A voice, a highly familiar one, rang through the Arena. "Welcome, People of Spargus, to the Arena of Death! Today, we will get to watch other people wet themselves in fear as they fight to prove their worth to stay among us! Our first challengers (or victims)… let's give it up for Jak and his annoying talking animal!" Jak walked up to the high central podium that was just under the balcony where Damas sat. A familiar, colorful money/parrot hybrid sat next to Damas.

"Pecker! There you are." Jak said. "What happened to you?"

"Damas says I am to be his new councilor!" Pecker said with his strong Spanish accent. "He says my wisdom will serve him well! Oh, and Damas also says that you two are likely to die in the Arena today, and he hopes your deaths are honorable and…"

"Will you stop that?" Daxter demanded. "Damas can talk for himself!"

"Pecker is right." Damas spoke from his throne. "You two will most likely die. And, yes, Pecker is my new advisor."

Pecker flew down to Jak's level. "Unlike you, some people actually appreciate my talents!" And then the hybrid added in an undertone. "It beats working for a living. I saw some of the fights earlier…" He shuttered violently. "Not a pretty sight!"

"So… you're basically sending us to our deaths, right?" Daxter asked.

"Uh… yeah… pretty much." Pecker said with a sly smile.

"Why you little…" Daxter began angrily, but Pecker interrupted him.

"Let the games begin!" Pecker yelled for the whole arena to hear, and was met by loud cheers. He waved at various people in the audience. "The first challenge… the obstacle coarse!" He said melodramatically. "Wide gaps over lava are not the only thing that stands between our challengers and victory! But… why give away the surprises? As always, no weapons of any kind are allowed! This challenge focuses solely on your ability to overcome even the most impossible obstacles!"

"No problem." Jak said quietly.

Damas leaned forward on his throne. "Are the challengers ready?"

"Yes."

"Fine." Damas said, and then loudly. "Begin the challenge!"

There was a great rumble and Jak turned around. The metal platforms had begun to shift in the lava until they rearranged themselves into an obstacle coarse. The platform Jak stood on moved with a jolt and maneuvered quickly to its position at the start of the coarse.

The elf moved on to the coarse and the platform he had just vacated sunk into the lava below. Now there was no going back. But Jak wasn't worried. During his two adventures, he had to learn how to get past all kinds of obstacles.

Jak looked down the set path of the coarse. The path seemed to be safe. However, Jak was never one to trust first appearances, and that he kept him alive on more than one occasion.

This turned out to be a wise thought. The second Jak stepped forward, a gun turret popped out of the floor. It fired straight at Jak's heart. Thankfully, the months of lethargy had not taken away his lightning-fast reflexes. Jak dodged to the side swiftly. The bullets missed, but the gun was already correcting its aim.

Jak jumped at the weapon and got under its sight-line, where the gun could not target him. He reached into the weapon and pulled out a bundle of wires. Zero points for finesse, but a hundred points for effectiveness. The gun deactivated instantly. The crowd cheered.

"He may have shut down one of the guns…" Pecker's voice offered a running commentary for those who had not witnessed the move. "But that is by no means the end! If it were that easy, our population would be larger!"

The elf got up off the ground and moved cautiously down the path. However, he had only moved a few feet when the ground underneath gave a surprising jolt. Jak leaped backwards instantly as the ground gave way and fell into the lava below, leaving a ten-foot gap between Jak and the other side.

Damas leaned forward on his throne. The man had jumped backwards? Most leapt forwards and barely made it to the other side. The challenge seemed to be over, for he had never seen anyone clear a ten-foot jump. He was about to declare the challenge over when the most amazing thing happened.

Jak jumped, clearing the ten-foot gap, and landed safely on the other side like it was nothing! Damas sat back, amazed, the jump had to be a record!

But is was by no means a record for Jak. He could jump twenty. As he was imbued with his Dark Powers, so was he imbued with more natural strength, agility, and cunning than five elves. And he had grown even stronger since his last adventure. After breaking out of prison, he could lift four times his weight. Now, he could lift five times, almost half-a-ton!

And, not only that, but he had faster-than-light reflexes, something that comes in handy during fights. When he is truly focused on a battle, nothing, except the fastest, can touch him.

He moved on down the path, only partial aware of the commotion his jump had just caused.

* * *

Jak made it through the path. There was nothing he hadn't seen before or couldn't handle. It seemed like nothing compared to the Metal-Heads or the Metal-Head Leader. He almost died trying to kill the Metal-Head Leader to save himself from Eco Poisoning.

He could still remember the feeling to Dark Eco Poisoning. A dull memory of the pain moved through his body, causing him to shiver.

"Jak? You alright?" Daxter asked.

"I'm fine." Jak said. "Just some painful memories."

They walked up to the podium where Damas and Pecker waited. "The candidates have won the challenge." Pecker said.

"That's right! We bad!" Daxter bragged. "You haven't forgotten what I taught you, Jak!"

"You taught me?" Jak demanded.

Damas growled loudly and stood up from his throne. "Anyone can make a few measly jumps when their life is at stake! Now, let's see how you rate against the living! Readjust the meta-formers!" Damas ordered. "Prepare the Arena for full combat!"

"Prepare the Arena for full combat!" Pecker echoed.

The King rounded on the moncaw. "I just said that!"

"Oh, I was just doing… the thing… you know how you…"

"Pecker!"

"Right. Prepare the warriors." Pecker said. An elf instantly jumped forward, offering Jak several weapons, mainly swords. Jak eyed them with disgust. It looked like one good hit would shatter them. Jak waved the man off.

Daxter gulped. "You mean we have to fight against actual people? With actual weapons? Who actually… want to hurt us?"

"Fine, bring 'em on." Jak growled.

"That's it!" Daxter said, jumping off Jak's shoulder and pointing at Damas. "I wanna be on his shoulder!"

The King stared at Jak. "Aren't you going to take a weapon?"

Jak picked up a broadsword that was red with rust and looked ready to crumble into a thousand pieces with a chance breeze. "You mean this piece of junk?" Jak asked.

"Not junk!" Damas said angrily. "That weapon has seen a hundred battles!"

"And it looks like one more will be the end of it." Jak said, setting it back down. "As much as I hate to admit it, I'm the greatest weapon ever created."

Daxter blinked. He never heard Jak admit to being a weapon. Usually, if anyone called him a weapon or something else that reminded him of his time as an identity-less weapon that was called 'Number Eleven'. Jak would go berserk and tear the unfortunate person to pieces. If there was one thing that Jak hated more than the demon that lived inside him, then it was knowing that he was created to be nothing more than a biological weapon of mass destruction. "Jak?" Daxter asked.

"Number Eleven is my name." Jak growled.

"Fine, Mr. 'Number Eleven'." Damas said. "Let's see what you can do against the dirtiest fighters in the desert: Marauders."

"Metal-Heads or elves?" Jak asked.

"Elves… sort of." The King answered. "Have a problem with killing your own kind?"

Pecker leaned towards Damas. "Your Majesty, may I remind you that this is Jak we're talking about. He has killed hundred of elves, much more than anyone else in history, besides the late Metal-Head Leader. And people that Jak gets mad at tend to disappear permanently!"

"HA!" Daxter laughed. "Jak here will rip 'em to shreds!" Then he began to count people off on his fingers. "Praxis… Erol… Krew… Kor the Metal-Head Leader…"

"Enough!" Damas ordered. "Go now, and show us what the infamous Jak can do."

The platform lowered back down to the arena. "What do you think, Dax? Bare necessities or put on a show?" Jak asked.

Daxter thought. 'Bare necessities' could mean as little as slashing each Marauder's throat. 'Put on a show' could mean… well… that anything could happen. "Put on a show." Daxter said. "You have fun."

Jak grinned wickedly. "We'll do." The platform took him to a platform that was sitting right on the lava. It was a small platform, which would hinder some of his moves, but not all. It was still decent-sized. A hundred elves could squeeze on.

"Let the challenge begin!" Damas roared as Jak stepped off the moving platform.

Pecker was yelling to the crowd. "I can't believe my eyes folks! The challenger has opted to face the Marauders completely unarmed! He must have a lot more courage then sense."

Several trap doors opened in the platform. Four large elves crawled up onto the platform. These were defiantly the toughest elves Jak had ever seen. These were true desert people. Thick armor covered most of their bodies, including their faces.

They glanced around for a second before spotting Jak. They spoke to each other in a language that Jak did not understand. Then one pulled up a weapon, a long, jagged sword that could cut a Metal-Head in two.

With a roar, the one with the sword leapt at Jak and swung the sword in a powerful downwards stroke that would cleave Jak in two right down the center.

However, his attack never made it. The elf made absolutely no attempt at dodging the blade. Instead, he reached up and grabbed the sword in both hands and stopped its descent.

The Marauder seemed surprised that an elf that was at least two heads shorter than himself could stop his sword, and apparently with little effort. The Marauder growled and put his full weight behind the sword, fully concentrated on slicing the young elf in half.

Jak continued to hold the sword at bay, and he wasn't even exerting himself yet. Then, with only a little effort, Jak ripped the sword out of the Marauder's hands and tossed it into the lava.

The crowd roared its approval. The Marauder lost his balance and fell forward. Jak jumped out of the way just before he hit the ground. The he descended on the unfortunate Marauder, a familiar vengeful fire in his eyes, as he took the man's head in both hands and twisted. This snapped the man's neck and killed him instantly.

He barely had time to breathe before someone attacked him from behind, another Marauder had him in a deadly bear-hug with the intention of crushing Jak's bones.

He reacted instantly. He conjured the first weapon that came to his mind, a dagger, and jammed it into the body behind him.

The Marauder instantly let go and Jak looked around. It appeared that this Marauder had a high-than-normal tolerance for Eco, possibly a Channeler, because he didn't die instantly. Instead, he merely vomited a rush of Dark Eco, the first sign of Eco Poisoning. Jak knew the terrible pain that Dark Eco Poisoning would cause before the Marauder finally died. So, being the merciful soul that he is, he kicked the Marauder into the lava, where he died instantly, as apposed to the long hours of suffering that Eco Poisoning would cause.

The next Marauder attacked, but he would receive no mercy, for Jak had his fill of mercy for the day. In fact, it was time for some serious fun! His Darker Side had been locked up for months, and he had been screaming to be let out.

**'Blood! Blood!'**

"Yes!" Jak answered his Dark Side. His Darkness would receive blood. Then, with a flash of Dark light that lit up the Arena, Jak let the transformation overwhelm him. The Marauders stood back, confused by the sudden turn of events, and wondering what new devilry they were to face.

The transformation now occurred so quickly that Jak didn't even have time to feel the pain. His skin paled until it was the familiar skin of Dark and his hair paled until it was only a shade darker than his skin. Horns shot out of his forehead and fangs grew from his teeth. Then his fingernails extended with a small 'shhk' sound.

Dark Jak grinned at the two remaining Marauders, but it wasn't a nice smile. It was a smile that had made many men lose control of their bladders. Dark Eco cackled over his body, electrifying the air. The Demon jumped at the nearest Marauder. He sliced at him, his claws extended to their fullest.

Dark Jak stopped, blood dripping from his claws. The Marauder stood in one place, shocked. Then, as if on cue, the Marauder fell apart into six different pieces.

The crowd, although they were equally surprised by Jak's transformation, cheered wildly at the gory death of the Marauder.

Dark Jak grinned. He was at home! Here was a town that cheered for his one major talent, namely killing people in gory and brutal ways. Back in Haven City, a bloody fight that ended with one or more people dead was frowned upon. These people could appreciate his talents!

The last Marauder stared at the many pieces of his former comrade, and backed off.

Dark Jak growled. " **Oh no you don't**!" It hissed, a new talent. After the Precursor incident, Jak found he could talk normally while in his Dark form as long as he maintained control of himself. But, as a side-effect, the Demon could speak in an understandable language also. This was more annoying now considering that he now had an internal monologue. Well, at least Dark didn't speak all the time to Jak, and when he did it was usually to point out how he is superior to his host.

Anyway, Dark Jak leapt at the last Marauder and knocked him down. He dug his claws into the Marauder's back, and right through the armor like it was wet paper. The Demon let some Dark Eco flow from his body into the Marauder.

Thankfully for this elf, he died instantly. Dark Jak ripped his bloody claws out of the Marauder's back and stood up. The whole arena cheered loudly as Jak let his Demonic form fall away.

The platform that would take him back to Damas reappeared and he walked over to it and got on. It began to move towards Damas.

On the way, Jak looked over the audience. One face stood out from the rest, possibly because that person's face was painted white. He looked at the person and could practically smell the hostility. Dark growled loudly in Jak's mind, hitting him like a hot poker right to his skull. Jak held his head like he had a sudden headache and growled.

Damas stood up from his throne and stared at Jak. "Something you're not telling us, animal-man?"

Pecker interrupted. "He has been touched by Dark Eco, my liege."

"Our boy here gets all mean and nasty when you piss him off!" Daxter explained. "So don't piss him off… word to the wise."

"Ah, then he is dangerous… and that could be useful." Damas said, mainly to himself. He looked down at Jak. "Your bravery and talent on the battlefield has earned you your first battle amulet." He tossed a round disk to Jak, who caught it easily. "If you are victorious in two more arena fights, then you will become a true Wastelander. And here is a Gate Pass to allow you free passage in and out of the City." The King tossed Jak a small metal pass. "But, be warned, there is no true refuge outside our walls. The desert is less kind then I. But, if you break any of our rules, then I will send you back out into the jaws of the desert… and you can bet the Marauders aren't going to save you. Do you understand?"

"Yes." Jak said instantly.

"Then we will set you up with some quarters as soon as possible." Damas said. "Now go."

Jak turned to leave, but he stopped and looked for the person with the white face. But it was gone. He set his face in a frown and walked away.


	8. Many Meetings

Jak walked through the main hallway that led from the arena back to Spargus proper. He walked past a rather fat man who was leaning casually against the wall.

Suddenly, the man spoke. "Those were some sweet moves in the Arena, boys. But a little more choke, and you would've popped, eh."

This man reminded Jak of Krew, the fat former owner of the Naughty Ottsel, formerly known as the Hip Hog Saloon. During their last encounter, Jak had mortally wounded Krew and then left him to die at his own hands. "You talking to me?" Jak demanded.

"Yeah, you talkin' to… him?" Daxter pointed at Jak.

"No, I'm confessin' with me dear departed mum." The fat man said sarcastically. "Of course I'm talkin' ta you, yer bore-head."

"Who are you?" Jak demanded, deciding to ignore the insult.

"The guy who runs this place, that's who." The fat man hissed. "So, you two are from the Big Smoke, eh?"

"What of it?" Jak asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Hmm… never thought that dirty stink-hole could produce a fighter like you." The words suggested an almost compliment, but the tone suggested otherwise. "Klevier's the name. You blokes stick with me, and I'll take care of you. In fact, I've got a job for you right now." The man called Klevier gave a short whistle and a large scaly thing that resembled a scaly flut-flut ran up to him. He took the reigns of the beast. "Since you City vermin are so used to catching rats, I want you to use me Leaper Lizard her to catch some Kanga Rats that have been raiding me stores."

"Using large lizards to catch rats?" Jak asked, then he added sarcastically. "In Haven, we catch rats with our bare hands."

Daxter blinked. "No we don't."

Jak rolled his eyes. "I was being sarcastic."

"Enough." Klevier said. "Catch me six of them rats, and I'll let you borrow one of me racing vehicles… if Damas ever lets you leave the City…"

"Fine." Jak said.

"No! I hate riding animals!" Daxter cried. "That saddle makes me chafe in all the wrong places!"

Jak blinked… again… and again. "What are you talking about? I ride the animals, not you."

"Shut up."

Jak grabbed the lizard's reigns from Klevier and walked away with the lizard close behind. They made it to the door, where Jak mounted the Leaper. "Should be like riding a flut-flut, right?" He asked.

"Jak… when was the last time you've seen a flut-flut, let alone rode one?" Daxter demanded.

"About three and a half years." Jak answered.

"Exactly! Even if it is like riding a flut-flut, do you even remember how to ride one?"

"Clam down, Dax!" Jak said. "Precursors, it's not like we're on a mission that will most likely end with us hurt or dead. We're catching rats for Precursor's sake!" Jak laughed at the irony of the situation. "Look at me, Dax. I'm in the middle of the desert, it's hot beyond belief, and the two-time savior of the world is catching rats! This was supposed to be my time off!"

"Preach it!" Daxter said.

"I mean, come on! I nearly died to save that miserable City, and they banish me!"

"Uh… I think the heat is getting to you again." Daxter said.

"Precursors." Jak swore. "If Haven is the stink-hole of the planet, then Spargus must be its oven. Why is it so freaking hot?"

"Cause it's the desert, buddy-boy." Daxter pointed out.

Suddenly, the Leaper squawked loudly as a red, lizard-like Kanga rat ran by. And Jak, with half of him wondering why he was stuck doing this, kicked the Leaper forward.

The little Kanga rat, which was many times smaller than the pursuing Leaper, didn't stand a chance. The Leaper leapt forward on its prey, took it in its mouth, and swallowed the rat whole.

"Eww!" Daxter commented as the Leaper licked its jaws. "I think I'll skip lunch today."

 **'Meat.'** Dark thought in Jak's mind hungrily.

"Ugh! Shut up!" Jak hissed out loud.

"What?" Daxter asked, because he could not hear Dark's comments.

"Oh, nothing." Jak said quickly. "It's just my Dark Side grossing me out."

"He talks to you now?" Daxter demanded. Jak didn't answer. He merely kicked the Leaper back into motion as he began to hunt for the next rat.

* * *

With six rats caught, Jak got off the Leaper Lizard. With a squawk the Leaper turned and ran off, possibly to go back to Kleiver. "Might as well go check out the rest of the City." Jak mused out loud. "You never know, this City could be our home for a long time."

"Try 'forever'." Daxter said angrily. "You got us banished for life! That means we can never go back to Haven City! Just because you let a few Metal-Heads into the City!"

Jak growled angrily and he began to walk aimlessly down the dusty streets. "I didn't let those Metal-heads into the City! I was knocked out and I didn't wake up until the Metal-Heads got past me."

"So, what do you think happened?" Daxter asked.

"There's only one plausible explanation: I was set up. The real Metal-Head Leader wanted me killed or banished."

"Oh! The intrigue!" Daxter exclaimed.

Suddenly, Jak felt something familiar. He looked around, and even Dark seemed to awaken, looking around in interest. "What's that?" Jak asked no one in particular.

"What? What?" Daxter asked.

Jak picked up his pace as he moved towards the… whatever it was. He passed a small market place and a beach without even realizing it. Then he saw it.

There was a huge piece of machinery lying on the ground ahead, except it wasn't an ordinary machine. It reeked of Dark Eco, the whole thing seemed to be composed of solid Dark Eco.

A small ground of people surrounded the machine, white solemn faces. Just like the one that caught Jak's eye in the Arena. The elf recognized what they were from his childhood in Sandover. They were Precursor Monks, a group of people who believed that the Ancient Ones were nothing short of gods. They were taken away from their parents as babies and raised to worship the Precursors completely. Finding and guarding the secrets of the Ancient Race was the number one goal of the monks. The Precursors consumed their lives completely and they rarely spoke of anything else. (Unless it was to hint how much they knew and how little other people knew.)

"Heehee, check out these funny dudes." Daxter commented. "Nice threads, I didn't know rubber was back in." The monks did seem to be wearing something along the lines of rubber. Daxter looked at one monk in particular, one who had his back turned on them. "Whatcha workin' on, Monk Boy?"

Suddenly, the monk broke the silence that surrounded the group. "It is none of your concern, animal." The monk said with a soft feminine voice. Jak blinked. The monk was a girl?

Actually, it wasn't the fact that the monk was a girl that surprised him, because monks could be both male or female. But it was the fact that the monk had turned to face them and Jak found no evidence that the monk was a she-elf. She had to be absolutely flat-chested!

"Listen here, Coloring Book, we've had a hard week!" Daxter grumbled. "Don't push it."

The monk ignored Daxter completely. She glared at Jak with extreme prejudice, while Jak glared back at her vindictively. "The Arena shows all, Dark One." The monk whispered. "Hate consumes your eyes like a raging fire that burns all in its path."

"Great, thanks for the tip." The Dark elf said sarcastically.

"That anger shall destroy you, just as these Precursors destroyed themselves." She gestured faintly toward the purple machine. Jak blinked. Did she just call that machine a Precursor?

"It doesn't look like any Precursor crap we've seen." Daxter commented. Several of the monks looked horrified that Daxter had just referred to the ancient artifacts as 'crap'.

"These artifacts are an abomination." The monk said with another glare at Jak, which suggested that she believed the artifact wasn't the only abomination in the immediate vicinity. "One fell on the Great Volcano, I sent an expedition to the mountain, but my monks never returned." She continued to make strange signs with her hands, much like Onin. "Ill tidings sing in the wind from every corner of the world. I fear the remaking of our world is at hand…"

"Oh! Armageddon!" Daxter exclaimed. "Another chance to save the world! Let's go, Jak."

Jak turned to leave when the monk called after him. "You must leave this place."

Jak rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and go where?" He continued on his way.

"Heroes think they can save the world when they themselves are lost." The monk said, and Jak stopped dead in his tracks. The monk continued, her voice filled with quiet anger. "You could not possibly understand the Dark Forces at work here."

Jak growled, spun around and stormed his way back to the female monk. "Don't talk to me about Dark Powers!" Jak hissed. The monk took a step back, as was common when you happened to incur Jak's wrath. "I understand the Darkness more than you think! More than you know!" Jak glared at the machine. "I want to know what this is…"

Suddenly, the machine rumbled. A computer jumped out of the side, the whole thing oozed of Dark Eco. Jak, the only elf who wasn't affected by the Dark Eco stepped forward. "Stand back." He ordered.

The computer display flashed Precursor runes. Jak, who understood the Ancient language, knew that it was demanded identification. There was a plain panel on the front, and Jak could only assume that it was a hand scan, because there was no keyboard. He pressed his hand to the sensor and waited several seconds. Suddenly, the artifact came to life.

The machine thing rumbled for several seconds and everyone, including Jak, took a step back, just in case. A panel in the machine opened and a mechanical arm extended, holding a Dark Eco crystal. Everyone stared.

Jak stepped forward to pick it up. "Don't touch it!" The monk warned, Jak paused. "Dark Eco!"

Jak rolled his eyes. "Dark Eco doesn't hurt me." He calmly picked up the crystal that would kill a normal elf instantly. But Jak wasn't normal, not by a long shot.

The monk seemed shocked that Jak could touch the Ancient crystal with no harm to himself. "You're impressed now!" Daxter laughed, pointing at the monk's face. "Come on, give him his props!"

The monk pointed at the crystal in Jak's hand. "That is a solid Eco crystal." She said, rather unnecessarily. "It has been passed down through time that they once powered the greatest of Precursor technologies." She looked past the Dark elf and at the screen on the machine. Jak looked at the screen also. Strange symbols that Jak could not understand flashed across the screen. "Strange… it speaks an Ancient dialect. The earliest Precursor written language. The Precursors haven't used this form for eons. This must be the oldest artifact we've ever found!"

"That's great." Daxter said sarcastically. "What does it say?"  
"It speaks of a 'Chosen One' and a great War." The monk said simply. The machine hummed louder now. "Its picking up a very powerful signal."

Daxter backed away from the machine. "I don't think we're gonna like what this thing is yappin' to!"

Suddenly, the machine twitched, as if it were coming alive. Mechanical legs shot out of the sides and pushed the thing upright. It hummed loudly and began to glow. With a jolt, Jak realized the signal was a self-destruct signal and he backed away just as the machine exploded into a million pieces.

The pieces of Dark Eco shrapnel rained down around them, but that didn't seem to put the monk off her mission of bad-mouthing Jak. "Even you can not save us from this, hero!" It didn't take a genius to figure out that the 'hero' comment was more of a mockery than a complement.

"Hey! I'm the real hero here!" Daxter yelled to get the monk's attention. She had been ignoring him the entire time, and he was starting to get annoyed by it. "You can call me 'Orange Lightning'!"

The monk laughed cruelly. "Just because you are friends with a creature with a small amount of talent on the battlefield does not make you invincible, rat."

"Small amount?" Now it was Jak's turn to get annoyed by the monk. He felt his anger rise. "I can destroy any sort of monster this planet can throw at me!"

"This planet, maybe." The monk admitted. "But what about other planets?"

"Other planets?" Jak asked. "How should I know?"

The monk glared at Jak. "A pity such a great honor has been given to one that is so unworthy." Jak opened his mouth to make an angry reply. He wasn't a hundred percent sure what she meant by that, but it was an insult anyway. "We have plans to save ourselves. Stay out of our business! You and Orange Lightning are not welcome here!"

The two glared at each other for several seconds. Daxter had witnessed Jak staring into Keira's eyes for whole minutes, but this was very different. Death-rays shoot out of the elf's eyes. If looks could kill, then both the elf and the she-elf would have been blown up.

"Let's go, Dax." Jak finally said as he walked away in a huff.


	9. New Darkness

The mechanical horror roared at his companions. "Just what the hell have you done to me?" It demanded.

The Dark Monster watched, unconcerned. "You suffered a Dark Eco-related accident. You would not have survived if we did not alter your DNA."

"I'm…" The monster paused, piecing together the information. "I'm a _freak_! I'm just like _him_!"

"Not quite." The Dark Monster said. "You are even more than him." It grinned the only way it knew how, it bared its fangs. "You are destined to face that elf in combat, and win. If you tried to face him without your new powers, he would eat you alive. We have given you a chance of success!"

"Why?" The mechanical creature asked.

"Because you have a reason to kill him and, now, you are the only one with the ability to perform this task."

"But… why?"

"What a long and complicated story that is." The Dark Monster hissed quietly. "Let us just say you are part of a war that has been going on between my kind and our greatest enemies for eons. It is a great honor for you to be chosen this way. You have been specially selected from the millions of elves on your planet to represent us in the upcoming battle."

"What does the Freak have to do with this?" The mechanical being asked.

"He, too, has been chosen, by the _other_ side." The Dark Being hissed the last three words. The Monster's mind wandered back to several months before when the Meeting had taken place…

* * *

(Flash-back)

A large Dark Being, one that stood head and shoulders above the rest, stood in the middle of a large room, gazing intently at a hologram of the Planet of the Green Sun, the only inhabited system in the universe that revolved around a green sun. The monster lifted its large head and growled loudly. Several of its smaller brethren at its side backed away several paces, as though afraid for their lives.

"Where is that damn Light One?" The large monster, obviously the Leader of the group of monsters, demanded. "It's not like a 'holy' Precursor to be late."

"I am here, Karnac." A voice said suddenly.

The Leader, whose name was indeed Karnac, spun around with unnatural swiftness. A Precursor was standing off to one side. The Precursor glowed with a bluish-white light that was a terrible contrast to the Dark purplish-black environment. The Precursor was naked, though it did not matter. It was impossible for a non-Precursor to tell male from female. Only Precursors understood the difference, and they were not about to tell. Karnac bared his fangs again in a smile. "Ah, the all-mighty Precursor arrives at last. You know my name, but I am yet to learn yours."

The Precursor seemed to give off a negative energy, the Precursor equivalent of a frown. "Names are not to be lightly tossed around. However, you may call me Tiatin."

"Tiatin, huh?" Karnac almost laughed. "Unusual name… for a Precursor. 'Dark Fate' is your name?"

"Dark Fate is I." Tiatin said simply. "Are we in agreement over the terms of this Meeting? Will the Ancient rules be followed?"

"Of course." Karnac said seriously. "Neither of us can risk open war again."

"The Choosing of the Champions…" Tiatin began. "Has been a vital part of this war since the tragic fight on Aeon. Never again would the Precursors and the Dark Makers fight in open war against each other. Instead, they would choose two Champions, one for each side, to decide the outcome."

"No need, Tiatin. We all know why we are here." Karnac growled. "I have already chosen my Champion."

"Really?" Tiatin asked. "Who?"

"A being that lives in the main City, Haven." Karnac said. "A being that had evil in his soul from the moment of his birth. He had a Dark Eco accident as of late, but we managed to get him here alive."

"Where is he now?"

"Recovering."

"Ruining his life, perhaps?"

"We are saving his life!"

"Altering a being's DNA, a being with no talent for the art of Channeling, into a Dark Eco-wielder?" Tiatin asked, a hint of sorrow in his voice. "You have no idea how it will effect him."

"Never mind." Karnac said. "He is perfect because he hates your Champion."

"My Champion? I do not believe I have named him." Tiatin said.

"It does seem fairly obvious." Karnac said with another teeth-baring smile.

"Yes, I suppose it does." Tiatin said thoughtfully.

"I must confess, I was rather… surprised in your choice." Karnac said. "A creature of Darkness? He is more like a Dark Maker then a Precursor."

"If that is what you think, then why did you not claim him?" Tiatin asked.

Karnac growled. "Because of his tiresome tendency to align himself with Light."

"Precisely. It is not the type of Eco that resides within our bodies, but our decisions that shape who we are." Tiatin said. "Surely you must understand this."

"I understand this decision will be the death of you." Karnac laughed.

"I have every confidence in my Champion's abilities." Tiatin said simply.

"I was not questioning his abilities, only his conscience."

"Even the bloodiest weapon that has seen a thousand battles, and stained with the blood of a thousand men, can be wiped clean."

"Is that so?" Karnac asked. "You will find souls are more difficult to clean than weapons."

"Not so." Tiatin said. "Souls are, in fact far easier to clean than weapons."

"Really?"

"Yes. All you have to do is repent for your deeds and all is washed away."

"He will never feel sorry for his deeds." Karnac stated matter-of-factly.

"He has just as much capacity to feel guilt and remorse as anyone." Tiatin pointed out.

"He has no conscience!" Karnac roared.

Tiatin nodded. "True." The Precursor admitted. "Then I will have to find him one."

* * *

(Flash-forward)

The Dark Maker shook itself out of his memories. "You have been chosen, and once you are, there is no backing out."

"So, basically, I have no choice in the matter?" The machine asked.

"I guess you do not." The Dark Maker said calmly.

The machine's anger rose terribly. The Dark Eco that made up the surroundings began to vibrate as it soaked up the monster's anger, which was quickly turning into blind rage. The Dark Maker smiled. It was time for training.

Suddenly, the claws of the Dark Maker began to glow with Dark light. Dark Eco lightning curled out from its fist, and the sparks formed into a completely solid weapon: an enormous mace with huge spikes on it. The Dark Weapon could crush anything it hit into a pulp is seconds.

More unusual was the fact that Jak Mar, thousands of miles away, could do the same thing…

* * *

(Spargus, Present time)

Jak had been walking around Spargus for several hours, trying to figure out the lay of the land. As far as he could tell, they were situated between the ocean and a mountain range that went deep into the Wasteland. The City was divided into two sections: the upper, with the bazaar and the ocean; and the lower, which was living quarters. And speaking of living quarters…

"Mr. Jak?" Someone asked at Jak's elbow. He looked around and then down. There was a little kid looking up at him in awe. The child couldn't be any older than twelve.

"Yes?" Jak asked, still slightly confused as being referred to as 'Mister'. Back in Haven, most of the people he was in contact with called him an 'arrogant punk'.

"I…" The little boy seemed to be in complete awe. "I was told to lead you to your new living quarters."

"Oh." Jak said, slightly surprised now for a new reason. "But… why do they send children?"

"I'm not a kid!" The boy said indignantly. "I'm thirteen years old!"

The Dark elf couldn't help but smile slightly. "Okay, so why do they send thirteen year olds?"

"All the grown-ups are always busy." The boy said. Then he paused, staring up at Jak. "Is it true?" He asked suddenly.

"Is what true?"

"They say you're the greatest fighter in the world and that you killed the Metal-Head Leader single-handedly!" The boy exclaimed.

Jak blinked. "I don't know about being the world's greatest fighter, but I did kill the Metal-Head Leader."

"Why being so modest?" Daxter asked suddenly. "Listen, kiddo, my buddy here is the best fighter you'll ever hope to see. Back in Haven City, everyone was scared to death of him!"

"Is that why you ended up out here?" The boy asked curiously.

"Maybe." Jak answered quietly.

Silence ruled for several seconds. "Why?" The boy asked, child-like.

Jak didn't answer right away. "Because when people fear you, they don't trust you." He stated matter-of-factly.

"Umm… can we go now?" Daxter asked.

"Yes." Jak agreed. "Let's go. Lead the way." He said to the boy. The boy nodded and walked off across the sandy street with Jak following a short distance behind. The boy led Jak to a two-story, sandstone flat. He led the elf up to the second level and opened the door. "There's no lock?" Jak asked.

"There's no need." The boy said. "There's no crime in Spargus. King Damas is a strict but fair ruler. Any criminals get kicked out of the City as soon as they are caught. But no one's been sent out into the desert to die in a year."

"How long have you been out here?" Jak asked, curious.

"Mommy, Daddy, and I left Haven two years ago." The boy said. "Daddy heard there was a City out here and wanted to escape Praxis' rule.

"Do you…" Jak paused. "Do you ever get used to the heat?"

The boy laughed. "Give it a few weeks, and days like this will be kind of nice."

"It's got to be at least a hundred degrees." Jak sighed.

" A hundred and ten." The boy corrected.

"Precursors…" Jak sighed.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it." The boy said. "Soon, you'll think that eighty degrees is unthinkably cold."

"Eighty degrees? But that's a hot, sunny day in Haven City!"

"Good-bye!" The boy said suddenly, turning to leave. "Hope you get used to the desert soon!"

Jak turned and looked about the small flat. It was sandy and perfectly ordinary in every other way. There was a small living room, a small kitchen, a single bedroom and bathroom. It was already furnished with the necessities, which was enough for Jak.

"Look at this pad!" Daxter said, jumping off Jak's shoulder to check the food supply, wouldn't you know. "I wonder if there's liquor in here." He opened up the small refrigerator, which was more of a glorified cooler, and frowned. "Water? There's only water! Damn them!"

"Dax!" Jak hissed, he had already sat down on the couch, after closing the door. "These are desert people. Water is probably more valuable then Eco."

"So? Liquor is more valuable than water!" Daxter grumbled. "Don't you have anything?"

"Oh, Dammit!" Jak said sarcastically. "I think I lost all my liquor in the desert!"

"Really? So… it can't be far, right?"

"Dax! I didn't bring anything out here! Everything I own is back in Haven City: my morph-gun, the Jet-Board, the Seal of Mar… everything."

"Man, and that Seal is the only proof we have of your identity."

"What? Prince Mar, the nameless Prince of Haven City?" Jak asked.

"Oh right, the Prince was never named, huh." Daxter said, and then he exclaimed. "Wait! How do we know that 'Jak' is your real name?"

"We don't." Jak said. In truth, he had been thinking about it a lot. The Oracle said that his true name would one day be revealed, but they couldn't say if he carried his rightful name. It could be something completely different. "But Samos did call me 'Jak' when I first met him."

"Only because Samos knew the boy would eventually turn into you." Daxter pointed out.

"Let's just stick with 'Jak' for now." The elf said. "I don't want you going around, calling me 'Your Majesty' or 'His Royal Highness' or any other royal titles like that."

"Geez, you don't want anyone to know, do you?" Daxter asked.

"Ashelin has most likely figured it out, and you can bet she told Torn. Samos knows and you know. That's four people too many."

"Not even Keira knows?"

"No." Jak said. "I don't want her to know. If she learned that I am royalty, she would see me as a different person. Royalty or not, I'm still the same guy."

"But with _power_!" Daxter exclaimed.

"Dax…" Jak sighed, shaking his head. "I'm _tired_ … inside and out. I'm sick of risking my life for others… I'm sick of being a hero."

"You don't mean that." Daxter said.

"But what if I do?" Jak asked. "I saved Haven City, and how did they thank me? They banished me and left me to die! I saved the world from Gol and Maia five hundred years ago…"

"Jak! Leave out the time travel! It's just confusing!" Daxter said.

"Okay… over three years ago and what did I get in return?"

"Uh… your name put down in history?" Daxter asked tentatively.

"No! We found that… damn machine that brought us here and I ended up being tortured for two years! I still have nightmares about my time in prison!"

"Boo-hoo!" Daxter said sarcastically. "You were tortured for two years. So what? The people who are responsible are dead and that is all in the past! You can't change the past, but you can fix the future, right?"

"Maybe you're right. I need purpose in my life again." Jak said, and then the old fire reappeared in his eyes. "I need someone to hate."

"That's not what I…" Daxter began.

"Veger!" Jak growled.

"Oh great, here we go again…" Daxter rolled his eyes. "Please don't do the whole 'I'm-pissed-and-want-revenge' thing! That is _so_ last adventure!"

"Too late." Jak said. "Veger's just made the top of my Hate list."

"No, no, no, no!" Daxter cried.

"You know what that means?" Jak asked rhetorically.

"No!" Daxter groaned.

"Eventually, we're going back to Haven City!"

"Jak! Open your ears! You! Have! Been! Banished!" Daxter yelled. "There's no going back!"

"Since when has some stupid law stopped me?" Jak asked.

"Uh… never." Daxter said.

"That's right." Jak hissed. "That's right. It may take years, but I'm going back home."


	10. What? Wheeled Vehicles?!

Later on, Jak walked into a metal door that he had never been inside before. He had seen several men and women, obviously warriors, go in and out.

Inside was a garage of sorts, which was full of the strangest vehicles that Jak had ever seen.

"Wow! Wheeled vehicles!" Daxter exclaimed. "These things must be ancient!"

"I've never seen a wheeled vehicle before." Jak said admiringly. He walked up to the closest one, which seemed to be made for jumping, but there were about five others spread around in a semi-circle. "Keira would probably give up her racing team to study these things for an hour." Jak said.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the newbies." Jak looked up from the vehicle, it was Kleiver.

Jak was less than happy to see him. "It's you."

"Checking out my garage?" Kleiver asked. "I run this place, you know."

"These are some sweet rides you've got here." Jak said. "I've got a mechanic…"

"Girl!" Daxter interjected quickly so it fit in with Jak's next word.

"…Friend that would love to get her hands on one of these." Jak finished with a slight glare at Daxter.

"So, ya like what ya see?" Kleiver asked. "We use these babies to make runs into the deep desert… tough wheels for tough work."

"You said we could use one." Jak said, reminding Kleiver of his earlier promise.

"I did, didn't I? But not one of those!" Kleiver gestured toward the large, weapon-covered, armored vehicles. "Those are for the… big boys." Kleiver looked down at Jak, noting that he was shorter than the average elf of about twenty. "You can use that one." Kleiver pointed at a little runt of a buggy that Jak hadn't even noticed. It had no weapons and had light armor. It was a glorified go-cart. "The Tough Puppy!" The fat man announced.

"Ha! What a runt!" Daxter commented.

"Seems to fit you." Kleiver said.

"Get in, Dax." Jak said. "I'll drive." Jak walked over to the buggy.

"Care to wager something on a race through the desert?" Kleiver asked. "If you win, I'll let you keep that little buggy for as long as you live. And if I win…" Kleiver paused.

Jak shook his head. "I don't have anything."

Kleiver suddenly pointed… at Daxter. "I'd say that yappy rodent of yours is a bit bony, but skinned and buttered, he'd make a nice treat." Kleiver patted his enormous stomach. "My vehicle against him."

Daxter, it seemed, had finally reached his limit. "Forget it, buddy! Jak would never…"

"Deal." Jak said. Daxter blinked in surprise and then glared at Jak. "What?" Jak asked, noticing the look on Daxter's face. "Don't worry, Dax, if there's one thing I can do, it's race!"

"Jak… do you realize if you lose, I'll be eaten by a… a Krew-wannabe!" Daxter shrieked.

"Don't worry." Jak said. "I'll win."

"You'd better win." Daxter grumbled. "Or I'm gonna haunt you for the rest of your life!"

"Is that any different from now?" Jak asked quietly.

 **'I don't want the fat man to eat him.'** Dark stated matter-of-factly.

Jak blinked at Dark's comment. It was by far the nicest thing that ever came out of his mouth. Usually, he just spoke about how much he wanted to kill random people. _That's the weirdest thing that you've ever said._ Jak thought to it. _But it's a good thing you've gotten over your rivalry._ Jak remembered well the time that Daxter had accused Dark of being homosexual. Dark hated Daxter ever since.

 **'What are you talking about?'** Dark asked. **' _I_ want to eat him!'**

Jak sighed. Well… it was too much to hope for.

"Whoa, are ya slippin' off into another world?" Daxter asked, noticing Jak's face, as it went strangely blank.

"What? Oh, no. Dark says he still wants to eat you." Jak said.

"Tell him I love him too." Daxter teased.

Dark grumbled vague threats and insults.

"Let's just go." Jak jumped into the driver's seat of the Tough Puppy and turned on the engine. The doors to the vast Wasteland desert opened and Jak was welcomed back into the desert by a blast of burning sand to the face.

Jak growled as he hurriedly closed his eyes to avoid getting sand in them. One cannot race with sand in your eyes. Jak pulled his goggles down from his forehead so they protected his eyes. "I knew… ACK!" What Jak meant to say was 'I knew these goggles would come in handy someday.' But as soon as he opened his mouth he got a mouthful of sand. Every breath he took coated his mouth and throat with sand. So he pulled the red scarf at his neck up over his nose and mouth, so that his face was now fully protected.

Daxter looked jealous. The only thing he had were the small goggles on his forehead and fur. "Lucky bastard." Daxter gasped, pulling the goggles down over his eyes.

Jak ignored Daxter's comment and floored it. Driving a vehicle like this was very different than the zoomers he had driven back in Haven City. On a zoomer, you rode on air and the time you bounced around was if you hit something. These vehicles were firmly attached to the ground, so that meant he could feel every dip and bump.

Also, being attached the ground did not make it easy to control, and the loose sand only seemed to complicate matters. The vehicle seemed ready to flip or skid at any moment.

Jak floored the brakes and slid to a stop. Kleiver drove up and skidded expertly to a stop not two inches from Jak's buggy. "What's the matter? Don't know how to drive?"

"I know how to drive!" Jak grumbled. "I've been driving since I was fifteen! I'm the Racing Champion of Haven City! But I've never driven anything like this."

"Jak!" Daxter suddenly yelled. "You bet my life on a race where you're racing in something that you don't even know how to drive! I hate you, Jak. I really do."

"Just give me two laps around these plains and I'll get it down." Jak said.

"Never even seen a car before and you think you'll learn how to drive one after just two laps around these plains?" Kleiver asked.

"I'm a fast learner." Jak said simply as he took off across the plains to learn how to control the little vehicle better.

* * *

Two laps later and Jak was fairly confident that he could at least race across the sands without flipping over, and that he could win the upcoming race.

Although it was different from the Class Races which seemed ages ago, Jak did not doubt his ability to out-race any competition. He then drove over to where Kleiver was waiting.

"Are you ready?" Kleiver asked.

"To race?"

"To lose." Kleiver said. "I know your type. I've seen it all the time. Young cocky boys who think they can fight. What you all need is a good ass-kicking." Jak frowned, but he was far too used to insults by now. "You may be a quick learner, mate, but I've been racing since before you were born!"

"That would be embarrassing then." Jak said. "To lose to a man with twenty years less experience than you."

Kleiver seemed to ignore Jak's comment. "The track is simple." He said, he pointed to a small track that was laid out by some cliffs that dropped straight into the sea. "Just stay on the track, three laps, idiot-proof. Oh, and if you fall into the water, you won't be coming back to tell the tale."

"Stay on the track, don't fall into the water. Got it." Jak said, mainly to himself.

"And don't even think that you can climb out of a sinking buggy either!" Kleiver said. "These things float like rocks."

Kleiver moved his vehicle, which was larger than the Tough Puppy and had weapons on it, to the starting line. Jak maneuvered the Tough Puppy next to him. "Let's get this over with." Jak said with the air of someone who just wanted to get the race over because he had far more important things to do.

"Ready…" Kleiver said. "Go!" The two racers took off in a flurry of loose sand and dust.

* * *

Three laps later and Jak proved that he really was a quick learner. He crossed the finish line first with a considerable lead. He stopped the vehicle and grinned cockily at Daxter. "See? What did I tell you? No one is a better racer than me!"

"Yay!" Daxter celebrated. "I'm not going to get eaten!"

Kleiver drove up and growled. "Beginner's luck." He said. "The Tough Puppy is yours, but I'll be getting it back from you."

"Hey! You said…" Daxter began.

"I said that ya could keep that vehicle as long as ya live." Kleiver said. "Well, we'll see how long that is, mates." Kleiver drove off like the sore loser he is.

Jak put the Tough Puppy into gear and drove off after him, back to Spargus.

* * *

Jak pulled into the garage. Damas stood by the door with Pecker perched on his shoulder. Jak drove up and skidded to a halt about half a foot from where Damas stood.

"My advisor here tells me you have vehicle skills." Damas said.

Jak stood up in the Tough Puppy. "I can hold my own." He said.

"Why being so modest?" Daxter asked. Everyone ignored him.

"This one will be of use to us." Pecker said in a stage whisper to Damas. "I think you should keep him for now."

"Can it, Pecker!" Daxter hissed angrily.

"Enough!" Damas ordered. "I have another task for you. Artifact duty."

"Artifact duty? What's that?" Jak asked.

"There are a number of Ancient Precursor artifacts that can be found in the Wasteland." Damas explained. "The storms churn the sands and reveal artifacts that have been buried for centuries. These artifacts are very valuable. I want you to drive out into the deep Wasteland and bring back as many as you can find. There's a radar in all the buggies that will lead you to each one. And watch out for the Marauders that patrol the deep desert for they want those artifacts too. Oh, and another thing… there's a storm coming in about ten minutes and if you get caught in the sandstorms… it will tear the flesh from your very bones!"

"Great, thanks for the pep-talk." Daxter said sarcastically.

"What are you waiting for?" Damas asked. "Go!"

Jak settled into the seat again and turned the vehicle around and shot out the door, back out into the Wasteland.

"Here's that radar thing!" Daxter called over the rumble of the engine. He turned on the radar and a blinking light appeared just to the left and ahead, the location of the first artifact. Jak adjusted their coarse and began to head in that direction.

Suddenly, something red shot right past the vehicle and past Jak's peripheral vision. He knew that he was under fire. He looked around and saw a strange vehicle pursuing him. It was covered with spiked armor and a weapon that fired Red Eco-powered bullets as far as Jak could tell. And here he was, in a lightly armored Tough Puppy with no long-range weapons. He only had melee weapons at his disposal, which was useless in the situation. "Shit!" Jak swore, the only thing for it was to try to lose him, and running away from a fight is a practical disgrace in the Dark Elf's opinion. He floored the accelerator and concentrated solely on the task at hand, namely finding those artifacts before the sand storm came.

They reached the place and Jak jumped out to the buggy and started digging frantically in the sand. A bullet hit the ground about an inch from his hand and he sped up. Finally, he uncovered a… something. It was made out of the orange Precursor Metal, so it had to be what he was looking for. He tossed it in the buggy, hopped in, and took off for the next artifact.

* * *

Eight artifacts later, and things were really looking bad. At least Jak's face was protected from the sand that was the precursor to the deadly sandstorm. Poor Daxter was heavily exposed to the elements. He was covering his face with the last artifacts that Jak had found in the sand. At least those he recognized. They were bracers, a type of armor that protected your arms from attack. This armor was made from Precursor metal so it was indestructible, and Jak coveted the armor desperately.

Anyway, he was driving back to Spargus full speed because of the huge sandstorm the loomed behind. It was now a race against the sand to reach the gates of Spargus before the monster storm caught up.

The gates were in sight now, but the sand seemed to move like it had a cold-blooded mind that knew there was a victim within its grasp. It moved with unnatural speed, a speed that made it seem more than simple sand.

The gates opened when Jak was ten feet away, with the sand right behind. Daxter was screaming incoherent words about being dead.

Then Jak shot through the doors. The Spargus gate closed instantly, a few wisps of sand got through, but the bulk of the storm was kept outside. Jak skidded to a halt and let out a quiet sigh of relief, which was drowned out by Daxter, who gasped. "I'm still alive! I'm still alive!"

Damas walked up and eyed the artifacts in the vehicle. He smiled slight. "Good work. That was… close." A look of concern passed over his face for just a split second.

"Aww! Are you beginning to care?" Pecker asked. He turned to Jak. "Damas says…"

Suddenly, Damas lashed at Pecker with the swiftness of a true warrior and forcibly held his mouth shut. Pecker fought against the warrior King's grip, but it was no use. "My concern was for the artifacts _only_." Damas said. "You are not a true citizen of Spargus yet, so I could care less if you died in a sandstorm. Those artifacts… we will use them well." Jak jumped out of the vehicle and began to get the artifacts out of the buggy, and lastly the Precursor armor. "Ah." Damas said, eying the armor. "That armor has a colorful history, you know."

Jak looked up from the armor. "Really?"

"Yes." Damas said. "Have a closer look."

Jak looked down at the armor. He didn't really have time to examine them before, but now that he looked at them, he noticed that there was a seal carved into the metal. "Mar's Seal." Jak said.

"Correct. That armor once belonged to Mar himself, he wore it in his battles for this planet long ago. However, near his death, Mar hid the armor across the continent to await the day when a true warrior would wear it."

Jak felt even worse about handing the armor over now. Armor that belonged to his own legendary ancestor? That was something that was worth keeping. Never the less, he handed the bracers to Damas.

"Why don't you try them on?" Damas suggested suddenly.

Jak blinked. "Really?"

"Sure." Damas said seriously.

Jak began to put the bracers on. It took a minute, for he was unfamiliar with armor of any type except for his shoulder guard. Finally, the bracers were in place on his lower arms. He was surprised to find that Mar's armor was a perfect fit. "It's… it's a perfect fit." Jak gasped.

"Yes." Damas said thoughtfully. "It's almost as if that armor was… made for you."

"This… it can't be right." Jak said, mainly to himself. "Mar was the greatest hero that ever lived and I'm…" Jak paused. "I'm a freak who happened to kill the Metal-Head Leader through sheer dumb luck."

"It would take a certain amount of sheer dumb luck to defeat the Metal-Head Leader." Damas said. "There are few who could have survived long in a fight like that. Some of the greatest warriors in the world have fallen to that beast."

At the mention of great warriors, Jak's thoughts turned to his unknown father. The Metal-Head Leader had told him his father fought him and got beaten badly. Kor said that his father crawled away like a coward. Jak didn't believe that his father was a coward at all; it would take unnatural courage to face the Metal-Head Leader without the abilities that Jak had at his fist. Once again he wondered to himself, silently, if his father was still alive and, if so, where he was.

Everything got quiet as everyone was absorbed in their own thoughts. Finally, Damas spoke again, drawing everyone's attention back to the real world where it belonged. "Why don't you keep that armor." Damas suggested.

"But… don't you want it?" Jak asked.

"It won't fit me." Damas said. He was right. He towered over Jak by a considerable amount, the armor wouldn't fit him in a million years. "And I don't think I'll find anyone else in Spargus who it fits. Why take it away from the one person who could actually put that armor to good use? Armor's for wearing, not for staring at. You should wear it." Then Damas thought about the breastplate that he already had in his protection. Then he pushed it back out of his mind. He had not given up hope of finding his son. But, then again, his son would only be seven years old right now, far too young to wear the armor. He decided that he would give Jak the breastplate when he won the third battle amulet and became a true Wastelander and citizen of Spargus.

"Thanks." Jak said. He really didn't know what to say. He wasn't used to getting anything other than hate mail and death threats. Death threats, he could handle, but not actual nice gifts.

"Now go." Damas said. "I have no more jobs for you right now."

Jak nodded, the closest he had come yet to a bow, and left. Daxter stared down at the bracers. "Wow. Imagine! I bet that you could practically block the most crushing blows with those things! Precursor armor! You realize that those babies are indestructible!"

"And they fit me perfectly." Jak said, amazed. "Mar couldn't have been any older than I am when he wore this."

"Mar was short too!" Daxter said. "He was a shorty, just like you!"

"Who're you calling 'shorty', shorty?" Jak demanded.

* * *

Back in Haven City, things were chaotic, to say the least. In fact, 'chaotic' is a bit of an understatement. 'Completely disastrous' or 'going to hell in a hand basket' would have been more appropriate.

And, to top it all off, Ashelin was pissed off at a certain ugly old councilman. "Don't you see what you have done?" She demanded. "In banishing Jak, you threw our greatest weapon away!"

"A weapon that that could, and has been on several occasions, turned upon us." Veger hissed. "Besides, you haven't forgotten the heinous crimes for which he was banished, have you?"

"Several people believe that he was set up." Ashelin said. "Jak certainly has enough enemies."

"Why would this be a set up?" Veger demanded. "Who would have anything to gain from this?"

"Well, you, for one." Ashelin said.

Veger frowned. "I only have Haven's best interest at heart, governess."

"Perhaps you only thing you know what Haven wants, but you really don't what we want or need."

"I do know what Haven needs!" Veger spat. "And that list does not include a rampaging Dark Eco demon intent on tearing this City down!"

"You know nothing of Jak!" Ashelin hissed. "He has gone through more pain than any of us could ever imagine! As High Chairman of the Council, you have access to the Dark Warrior Program notes, do you not? And you've gone through them, haven't you?"

"You've got me, governess." Veger said. "I have gone through those files, and they opened my eyes to just how dangerous he and his extinct kind are! The last three alone killed over a hundred hard working guards in prison! Dark Warriors are a dead race that never should have been created in the first place! There is a reason fourteen out of the original fifteen are dead! Survival of the fittest!"

"I'd say that Jak is fitter than the rest of us." Ashelin said. "He may be the next step in our evolution."

"I would die before I allow our race to be carried down that Dark path!" Veger hissed.

"Fine. Go ahead and die." Ashelin said.

Veger growled loudly and stormed off. Torn, who had been watching quietly from the corner, moved forward. "Getting upset, aren't you?" He asked.

Ashelin sighed, releasing the tension in the room. She and Torn stood in the new Freedom League Headquarters in New Haven, the last safe place in Haven. "He just… makes me so mad, sometimes." She admitted. "Every time he talks about Jak like that…"

"Well, there's really nothing we can do about that." Torn said. "The Precursors are his religion and people hold on to their religious beliefs tighter than a Metal-Head bear-hug."

"I know." Ashelin said. "Have you completed the task I gave you?"

"You mean the perilous quest of getting Keira away from the ruined Stadium and back here, then yes, I have." Torn said. "Why does Keira have to stay here in a military base anyway?"

"Because it's safe here." Ashelin said. "If Jak ever heard that we let Keira get ripped to pieces by the Metal-Heads, he'd bring the wrath of hell down on the whole City."

"Good point." Torn said. "He'd go medieval on all our asses and tear the City down around our ears."

"Precursors, what are we going to do?" Ashelin asked. "Even if we had Jak, I don't know how we would win. Jak's very good, but he can't be everywhere at once." She looked down at the map of Haven City in front of her, pointing to the places as she mentioned them. "The Farming District is falling out of our control more and more every day. South Town and the Port is being run over by the old Krimzon Guard bots. The place where the Palace used to stand is now the home of some sort of flying war factory that appeared there over-night."

Torn stood next to her, looking down at the map. "The Stadium is almost completely destroyed." He said. "Main Town has been mostly turned into New Haven, the only safe place left. The only thing that keeps out the Death bots and the Metal-Heads are the force fields at both entrances." Torn sighed and shook his head. "Things are looking very bad for us."

"I've talked to the Council members." Ashelin said. "Some of them believe they have made a mistake in banishing Jak. If we could just get more than half of them on our side, then that should be enough to let Jak back into the City."

"If he's still alive." Torn said. "You forget he's been in the Wasteland for over a week. No one has ever come back from the Wasteland. No one could hope to live for that long in the desert. If the heat doesn't get you, dehydration will."

"Samos believes that Jak is still alive." Ashelin said. "And if Samos says that Jak's alive, then I believe him."

"Why's that?" Torn asked.

"This wouldn't be the first time that Samos was right about Jak." Ashelin said simply. "And I have to believe that he's alive out there… I have to."


	11. The Day Star Approaches

Jak moved back into Spargus proper, and it was getting pretty dark, and it was cooling down to a balmy ninety degrees.

Daxter yawned loudly and Jak, unable to resist the power of the chain-yawn, followed suit.

"I think it's time to crash." Daxter said in a sleepy sort of way.

Jak didn't say anything at first. Daxter thought that Jak would say he wasn't tired, like he did so many times before on his previous adventure when he had been plagued with nightmares whenever he closed his eyes, he would barely sleep once a week, and then only for a few hours. That didn't count the week when he was in a coma and near death. "That sounds like a great idea." Jak said suddenly. "It's been a long day."

He moved to his quarters, which were close by. He opened the door, walked in, and closed it behind him. He made a familiar move to lock the door when he remembered there were no locks.

"How am I supposed to feel safe with no locks on the door and no gun under my pillow?" Jak asked. "How many locks did my apartment back in Haven have?"

"Five." Daxter answered automatically. "And that's not counting the one that is standard issue for every door, so that's really six locks. Then you always had a small pistol under your pillow, not to mention your instant Dark weapons and your Dark side."

"Both are useless to me in sleep." Jak said.

"Hey, that kid said there was no crime here." Daxter said.

"I highly doubt there is no crime in a city composed largely of thieves and murderers." Jak said.

"Hey don't worry about those amateurs." Daxter said. "Practically everything you own is stolen… even your clothes. And don't forget, you have the highest murder count for a single man in history!"

"I guess you're right." Jak sighed. "We could be stuck out here a long time, so I'd better just get used to it."

"The way of life…"

"And the damn heat too." Jak hissed. Then, as if to sharply contrast the moment, his entire being softened as he walked over towards the simple bed. He only took the time to remove objects that would be painful to sleep on. Then he fell down of the bed and fell asleep with incredible swiftness.

Daxter climbed up on the bed, and curled up, cat-like, at the foot of the bed. He quickly followed Jak's example and soon was drifting off into Dreamland.

* * *

Several weeks passed, mostly uneventful. Jak spent most of his time on the roof of the flat, sitting in the direct sunlight in an attempt to get used to the extreme heat of the desert.

It took several days of Jak nearly getting heat stroke before he found the sun didn't bother him as much. Delighted, he continued this practice until he could easily withstand even the hottest of days, which could get as hot as a hundred and twenty.

The kid was right. A hundred and ten is nice weather in the Wasteland. Jak's climate preference had successfully shifted to withstand the hot, arid environment. This would prove to be a problem should he decide to head back to Haven, which seemed less and less likely to Daxter.

It happened slowly, but Daxter noticed a change in Jak. The elf had taken a special liking to the Desert City, one that he never felt for Haven. Sure, Jak never denied that he was born there, but he was starting to consider Spargus his home. Spargus was a place where Jak, and people like him, could live life the way they saw fit, fighting off Marauders and the occasional Metal-Head patrol. It was truly a warrior town, and Jak was quickly welcomed into the fold, all except for two people. The mysterious monk and Kleiver, who on three separate occasions had tried to get Jak to part with Daxter for his dinner. But Daxter had made it exceptionally clear that if Jak ever bet his life on something again, he would introduce him to his claws. And while Daxter's claws were not nearly as frightening as Dark's claws, Jak had no wish to get attacked by an angry Ottsel.

Soon, Jak was walking aimlessly through the City when he heard someone walk up behind him. "You are still here?"

Jak looked around. He saw the weird monk dismounting a Leaper Lizard. "Yeah, we thought we'd hang out, catch some rays, get a tan…" Jak said.

"This isn't a game!" The monk said angrily. "The fate of our planet is possibly riding on the next few months!"

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind." Jak said. "Who are you, anyway? Even monks have names."

The monk didn't say anything for several seconds before she answered. "I am Seem."

"What's with the Leaper?" Jak asked as some more male monks rode up on Leapers. They all glared at the 'Dark One.'

"We use these to reach our island home." Seem said. "They allow us to travel where you alone cannot."

"Don't be too sure of that." Jak's eyes narrowed. "What you saw in the arena weeks ago… that wasn't even half of my powers."

Daxter wasn't listening to this old argument, he was staring at the Leaper. "Man, those babies sure stuff their faces. We saw one gulp a load of Kanga rats right after the arena fight! Stupid rats! They just sat there and…" Suddenly the Leaper attacked Daxter. Apparently, the dumb animal had decided that Daxter looked appetizing.

"You'll never last out here." Seem said to Jak. "That Dark Eco Crystal from the Satellite… I want it before it falls into the… _wrong_ hands." Jak knew that she was speaking of him. "I normally don't like to gamble something so important, but I must get that crystal. I'll wager a Light Crystal against it if you race my monk brothers on their Leapers."

"Uh…" Jak said, watching Daxter, who was halfway in the Leaper's mouth.

Seem rolled her eyes. "Wulm Luhvza Rszoqvsvz." Jak understood that she said 'Drop Orange Lightning.' The Leaper Lizard instantly spat out the Ottsel. "Qohvb flk. _Thank you._ " She bowed to the Lizard.

Daxter got off the ground, saliva dripping from his fur. "Just show us where the starting line is!"

"The starting line is here." Seem said. "The finish line is in the bazaar. Use the fastest way you can." She turned to her brother monks and began to speak to them in the Ancient Language loudly. Apparently, she didn't believe that Jak could understand her perfectly. "Hua flk uahwf? _Are you ready?_ "

"Na nsrr vlq wsihyylsvq lku Oszo Yusaiqaii. _We will not disappoint our High Priestess._ " One said.

Jak frowned. "I can understand you, you know."

Seem blinked and stared. "You understand the Ancient Language?"

"Mrkauqrf. _Fluently._ " Jak said.

Seems seemed surprised that a tainted Dark Monster like Jak could understand and speak the Ancient Language.

Jak rolled his eyes. "I used to worship the Precursors too… before all this happened to me."

"But you don't believe in our creators now?" Seem's eyes narrowed. There was nothing a Precursor monk hated more than non-believers.

"I believe that the Precursors exist as a race." Jak said. "Not as gods. They made mistakes just like the rest of us."

Seem didn't say anything, but her monks took over. "What do you know…" One spoke up in the common language. "The Dark One is a non-believer. Who is surprised by that?" The monks laughed.

"What more could one expect from an uncivilized monster?" Another one spoke, the rest laughed harder. "Animals don't believe in the Precursors either."

Jak had to clench his jaws to stop a stream of profanity that would probably make the monk's heads explode.

Daxter, however, didn't have such reservations as Jak. "Why you evil, evil people! How dare you talk that way about my friend! You can take your godly Precursors and shove 'em up your…"

"Dax." Jak interrupted when he had calmed down. "Don't say it. It's all right. It's not like I'm not used to insults."

Daxter stopped his rude comment rather reluctantly. "Whatever you say, buddy."

Jak took the reigns of a near by Leaper Lizard and jumped into the saddle. "I'll show you what this Dark Eco Freak can do." Jak hissed.

"Hmm… soon, we'll see." Seem said.

* * *

Two minutes later, Jak reached the small bazaar first. The Leaper skidded to a halt. "Oh yeah!" Jak exclaimed. There was nothing quite like proving vindictive monks wrong.

Another monk pulled up. "Ha! We kicked your scaly tails!" Daxter laughed and pointed at the monk. Another monk pulled up and almost hit Jak, whether on purpose or on accident, Jak was never sure. "Back off, ya filthy animal!" Daxter yelled at it.

Seem rode up on her Leaper. "Fine, _hero_ , the Light Crystal is yours." She said.

"When you say 'Light' you mean 'Light Eco', right?" Jak asked.

"Certainly." Seems said. "Not that you'd understand the wonders of pure Light Eco."

"You'd be surprised." Jak said. Daxter knew what Jak was talking about. Jak had once channeled Light Eco to destroy Gol and Maia in their Precursor robot. He had been only seventeen at the time, and so naive.

Jak remembered the moment too, but not as well as he once had. He remembered how the Sages combined their Eco powers to create the glowing Eco, how he managed to grab some at the last second… He could barely remember how the Eco felt. The memory had been dulled by pain. But he remembered how he thought it felt. He remembered thinking that it was the most wonderful feeling he had ever felt.

Seem took out a glowing crystal and passed it to Jak. He noticed that the crystal burned slightly against his skin. Dark didn't like the crystal. It shrank away from it, snarling. **'What the hell is that?'** It demanded.

"The two most powerful Ecos, Light and Dark, when combined form great energies." Jak handed the crystal to Daxter to get rid of the burning. "Be careful with them!" She hissed. "And when you die, do be kind enough to give them back."

"I don't plan on it." Jak said, and then he glared at Seem. "Why are you so obsessed with death?"

"Because of that." Seem pointed up in the sky and Jak followed her finger. She was pointing that the strange purple star that Jak had seen earlier. But… was it a star? Stars don't shine in the middle of the day.

Daxter voiced Jak's thoughts. "What the hell is that?"

"That is the Day Star." Seem said. "The Light approaches and every day it grows brighter. The War of the Champions is coming."

"The War of the Champions?" The phrase sounded familiar to Jak, like he had heard or read about it before. But he couldn't, for his life, think what it was. "What's that?"

"One who can speak the Ancient Language surely must know the Precursor legends." Seem said.

"Well, I can't recall what the War of the Champions is." Jak said.

"I am forbidden to reveal such things." Seem said. "Sqsi h ysqf qohq ikjb h zuahq olvlu si nhiqaw lv h qhsvqaw juahqkua ikjo hi flkuiarf. _It is a pity that such a great honor is wasted on a tainted creature such as yourself._ "

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Jak demanded.

"Nothing." Seem said, she motioned for her monks to follow her. They walked away.

"Great honor." Jak repeated in the common language. "What great honor? There's nothing honorable about my life."

"What is the War of the Champions?" Daxter asked. "Do you think Old Greenie told us about it during one of his many, _many_ lectures back in Sandover?"

"Maybe." Jak said. "But… I can't remember."

"I'm surprised." Daxter said. "You soaked up everything that old Log Head said about the Precursors. How else could you explain that out of you, me, and Keira, that you are the only one who really picked up the Ancient Language? You learned a whole other freaking language when you couldn't even speak it, but you don't remember this dumb war thing?"

"Hey! I'm not an expert on the Precursors, all right!" Jak said. "I know I've seen that phrase before…"

A short ways away, the monks were arguing in the Ancient Language.

"Oln jhv flk xa ikua qohq oa'I qoa Lva? _How can you be sure that he's the One?_ "

"Eafxa flk oahuw qoa Luhjra nulvz. _Maybe you heard the Oracle wrong._ "

Seem sighed. "Qoa Luhjra zhga ki qoa vhea. Qoaua si vl wluxq. _The Oracle gave us the name. There is no doubt._ "

"Xkq… oln? Oln si qohq yliisxra? _But… how? How is that possible?_ "

"S hzuaa. Nohq hua qoa Yuajkuilui qosvbsvz? _I agree. What are the Precursors thinking?_ "

"Wlv'q wlkxq qoa Yuajkuilui. Qoaf nlub sv efiqauslki nhfi. _Don't doubt the Precursors. They work in mysterious ways._ " Seem said. "Na jhv lvrf olya qohq qoaf bvln nohq qoaf hua wlsvz. _We can only hope that they know what they are doing._ "

* * *


	12. Wasteland Metal-Heads

Jak casually walked into the Garage. It had been a while since had had gotten something to do.

Kleiver was there and he looked up at the duo as they entered. "Oh, it's you two." He said. Jak didn't reply. "You two looking for a bit of action?"

"That's why I'm here." Jak said.

"Fine. The radar shows a group of four Metal-Heads moving through the desert not too far from here." He moved over to a vehicle that was slightly larger than the Tough Puppy, plus it had weapons and armor. "Take the Sand Shark here, chase them down, and fill those bad boys full 'o lead."

"Why does it sound like you're leaving out the dangerous parts?" Daxter asked. He looked at Jak. "Jaaaak, I'm getting some nasty juju-vibes here! I don't have these whiskers for nothing, you know!"

Jak rolled his eyes. "Relax, will you, I think I can handle four Metal-Heads."

Kleiver grinned evilly. "Have you ever seen a Wasteland Metal-Head before?"

"Are they any different from the ones by Haven or the ones at the Metal-Head nest?" Jak asked.

Kleiver laughed. "Too right, mate."

"Then, no, we haven't seen a Wasteland Metal-Head." Jak said.

"Why?" Daxter asked suspiciously.

"Nothing. Just asking." Kleiver said, than he added sarcastically. "Go get 'em, heroes."

Jak paused mid-step on his way to the Sand Shark. Daxter saw the look on Jak's face, the look that he was fighting with all his might not to explode at Kleiver. Daxter knew what he was thinking. He was wondering why Seem and Kleiver used the word 'hero' so sarcastically. But he was only partially right.

Jak was also pissed at the fact that they were calling him a hero in the first place. As far as he was concerned, his days as a hero were over, and his days as a warrior were beginning.

"You better watch your back, Kleiver." Jak hissed through gritted teeth. "You may have heard about the things I could do. Well, you don't know the half of it. My enemies are dead… every single one of them."

"I guess you must be a better than average fighter to have tangoed with the Metal-Head Leader and survived." Kleiver admitted. "Better warriors than yourself have faced him, coming out gravely injured, or worse, dead."

Jak thought of his unknown sire again. "How many men have faced the Metal-Head Leader?" He asked as casually as he could.

"Geez… more than can be counted in one lifetime." Kleiver said. "Why do you ask?"

"Nothing." Jak said, his heart sinking. If only a few people had faced the Metal-Head Leader, than that would considerably narrow down the list of possible fathers, and at least he'd have names. But if there was more than could be counted, it wouldn't help much at all. He thought angrily on the single clue that he had.

Jak pushed that thought to the back of his mind. There was no point in stewing over it. He couldn't remember a thing about his parents; he couldn't even say how he felt about them.

Jak jumped into the seat of the Sand Shark, Daxter sat on the seat next to him, and they took off into the Wasteland desert without a second thought on his parental problems.

* * *

The radar showed that these four Metal-Heads were tramping around the desert only a short distance from Spargus. "Four Metal-Heads?" Jak demanded. "Kleiver sent us out here to kill four Metal-Heads?"

"Don't get cocky!" Daxter pleaded. "These things could be Metal-Heads from hell! Or maybe they have death-ray eyes!"

"Death-ray eyes?"

"Death-ray eyes!"

"Dax, you've been my friend for years, as long as I can remember, and I've heard a lot of bullshit come out of your mouth. But that is by far the stupidest thing you're ever said."

"Oh come on! You don't mean that!" Daxter said. "I'm frankly insulted! I've said much stupider things than that!"

"Yeah, right." Jak said. He looked ahead and his eyes widened. "Holy shit!"

"What? What?" Daxter asked, looking where Jak was looking. "Holy shit!" He copied.

A huge Metal-Head topped the closest hill, and when I say huge, I mean 'enormous.' These monsters stood thirty feet tall and were fifty feet long. It's long tail swept to the side and hit one of the few trees that managed to survive in the Wasteland and knocked it clean over. It opened its huge mouth, revealing foot-long jagged teeth, and it let loose a roar. The sound hit Jak's ears and he winched painfully.

"Shit!" He repeated. "That's a Wasteland Metal-Head?"

"I knew Kleiver was leaving out the dangerous stuff!" Daxter complained.

"I sure hope this vehicle has a good weapon on it." Jak said.

"You got that right." Daxter said, watching the Metal-Head sniff the air. "Hey, Jak?" He asked suddenly.

"Yeah?"

"What if you are the Metal-Head Leader?" Daxter asked.

Jak blinked. "I take back what I said earlier. _That_ was the stupidest thing I've ever heard you say. Don't start that again! I'm not the Metal-Head Leader!"

"Just do something… Give it an order!"

"What? Now I know you're crazy."

"Just try it!" Daxter said.

Jak shook his head sadly. "I can't believe I'm doing this." He said. He stood up in the Sand Shark. "Hey, you, Metal-Head!" He yelled. The monster didn't react. "See?" Jak asked. "It doesn't even pay attention to me."

"Try the Ancient Language." Daxter suggested.

Jak rolled his eyes again. "Hora-Quan!" He yelled the Precursorian name for the Metal-Heads. The Metal-Head looked around. "S luwau flk ql bsrr flkuiarm! _I order you to kill yourself!_ "

"Good one." Daxter commented.

The Metal-Head blinked its large eyes, waiting.

* * *

Thousands of miles away, the Dark Monsters were debating. "Should we make the Metal-Head carry out the order?"

"It would be a bonus for it to believe it really is the Metal-Head Leader." Another said. He made a direct mind-link with the Metal-Head. "Do it." He ordered.

* * *

Back in the desert, the Metal-Head lifted a claw…

"Oh my God!" Jak gasped.

And with a quick slash, it drew its claw across its neck. Green blood painted the sands and the monster fell to the ground a few seconds later… dead.

Jak stared. He could believe what he had just seen. "He… he followed your order!" Daxter gasped. "That must mean you are the Metal-Head Leader!"

Jak rounded on Daxter. "Not a word of this ever gets out to anyone!"

"But, think, you could end the war just by ordering the Metal-Heads to kill themselves!"

"It will definitely help with any 'kill the Metal-Head' missions." Jak said. "And it will help on this mission too." With that, Jak drove off to find the other beasts.

* * *

Let's just say that the hardest thing about the mission was Daxter telling Jak to make the Metal-Heads do all sorts of bizarre things. The least of which was getting the last two Metal-Heads to fight each other. So that was the one thing that Jak did let happen.

It was a short fight as one seemed far stronger than the other. However, the loser managed to rip the victor's throat out before it died, so both lost the fight and the winner fell to the ground with a roar. Jak drove up, got out and walked up to the beast, which was still alive, only just.

Jak conjured the longest weapon he had in his possession, a spear, and shoved it through the bio-metallic armor that covered the space between its eyes. The spear pierced the living brain and killed the monster almost instantly.

"Hey, Jak, look!" Daxter pointed at the ground. Jak walked over, a Dark Eco Crystal lay on the ground. He picked it up, studying it.

Suddenly, there was a sound behind him and Jak looked around. A small holographic communicator had activated. The person was male, but the hologram wasn't perfect and the signal was distorted, so Jak couldn't make out who it was. "Metal-Head Commander, report! What's happening? If you lost that cargo and you're still alive… I'll kill you myself! I need every Dark Eco Crystal you can find! Time is sort! Do you hear me?"

Jak walked over to the hologram. "I'm sorry, but you're delivery boy had to be put down."

"Wait! Not you!" The hologram said. Jak stomped on it, effectively destroying it.

"I don't like the sound of your voice." Jak said to the broken hologram emitter.

"Oh yeah, you sure kicked sand in his face! Oh yeah… that was good." Daxter said.

At the mention of 'face' Jak thought back on the hologram. Even though it was in bad condition, he could see the shadow of the man's face, and the face, and the voice, gave Jak a feeling of deja vu. "That face looked familiar."

"Well, that's just you being paranoid, buddy-boy." Daxter said. "Now let's get back to Spargus… this desert gives me the creeps!"

With one last look at the broken emitter, Jak pocketed the Dark Eco crystal and walked back to the Sand Shark.


	13. Back To The Arena

Jak pulled back into the Garage and parked the Sand Shark in its spot right next to the Tough Puppy.

Kleiver walked up to the duo. "You blokes back?"

"Yeah. And what do you know? Wasteland Metal-Heads are just as easy to take down as Haven's Metal-Heads." Jak said.

"Oh, by the way." Kleiver said. "Damas wants to see you in the Spargain Palace Throne Room."

"The Throne Room?" Jak asked. Only a select group of warriors ever went in there.

"Yeah, but don't get a swelled head." Kleiver said. "He just wants you to go to the arena again."

"Then why don't I go there?" Jak asked. "It's closer."

"You won't want to do that." Kleiver said. "It's unknown for a rookie to get a personally invitation to the Throne Room."

"Well, when you put it that way." Jak said. He turned and walked back to Spargus.

The door to the Palace was about halfway between the two main sections of Spargus, and the door was always guarded by at least two guards. Damas must've told them that Jak was to be let in because they made no move to stop him.

He stepped on to the elevator and it moved up. Jak was well aware that this was unusual. Damas was a King, and he was not even a real citizen yet. He was more of a person who was living off his charity.

The elevator stopped in the throne room… the strangest one that he had ever seen. He had been in Haven's throne room on numerous occasions. The focus of the décor for the Haven throne room was more modern, metal and Eco lights. The Spargus throne room was just the opposite, sandstone and water, the whole place was lit by torches that were placed strategically around the room. Damas sat on the throne at the head of the room. He stood up. "Jak, it is time for you to once again test your abilities in our arena. Face down your fears, defeat those who oppose you, only then will you be a true warrior."

"Jak? Afraid?" Daxter laughed. "Jak's not afraid of nothing!"

Jak looked away innocently. "Everyone has some fear." Damas said, looking at Jak. "Even if they don't admit it." All of Jak's body language said that he wanted to disappear into thin air. "So… what is it the infamous Jak fears most?"

Daxter stared at the young elf. Jak wished with all his heart that he could evaporate, but it wasn't going to happen. Jak whispered an inaudible word.

"What was that?" Daxter asked.

Jak looked highly uncomfortable. There was only one thing in the world that he feared above all else. "It's embarrassing." He said finally.

"People will fear what they fear." Damas said. "Even warriors can feel fear, but he can't let that fear stop him from acting. True bravery is not being fearless, but admitting your fears and facing them."

Jak put his head in his hands. "It's stupid. I know I shouldn't be afraid, but I am."

"So, what is it?" Daxter asked.

Jak sighed, then he looked down at his feet. "Wumpbees."

"Wumpbees?" Daxter demanded. "Is that because of that ninth birthday thing?"

"I guess." Jak said, his mind traveling back twelve years ago on his birthday…

* * *

(Flashback)

"Hey Jakkie, happy birthday!" Daxter exclaimed.

Jak, still a mute boy, merely smiled his appreciation.

Suddenly, a young girl that could only be an eight-year old Keira ran into the room. She ran over to Jak and sat next to him, putting her arm around him playfully. "Hey, big brother, happy birthday!"

Perhaps some explanation is needed. Jak and Keira were not related by blood or even family ties, but they had known each other for as long as the other could remember. They were more siblings than friends. And Jak, being the older one by almost a year, was the 'big brother.'

Jak embraced her in a brotherly way, his way of saying 'Hey, little sister' without any words.

"Nine years old! Hey! No fair! Just because you were born before me doesn't mean you should be older!" Daxter whined. (Daxter was several months younger than Jak.) Jak blinked to show his confusion.

"Uh… I think that does make him older than you." Keira said. "And it is fair."

"No, it's not." Daxter grumbled, crossing his arms over his small chest and pouting.

Suddenly, Jak got an idea, a mischievous idea, so unlike him. Usually it was Daxter who came up with all the hare-brained ideas that usually ended up with them in trouble. He tugged on Daxter's shirt to get his attention. Then he pointed off in the distance, towards the Forbidden Jungle. See, it had suddenly hit Jak that he _was_ nine years old and he wasn't a kid anymore. So shouldn't he be allowed to go wherever he wanted? And he wanted to go into the Forbidden Jungle. The dense forest had been hovering on the edge of Jak's mind for weeks, though he was unable to say why. He just felt this overwhelming need to go and explore the jungle.

"What is it?" Daxter asked. Jak rolled his eyes. There were times that he wished desperately that he wasn't a mute and he could just tell Daxter he wanted to explore the jungle. This was one of those times.

He pointed more insistently. Keira figured it out first. "The jungle?" She asked. Jak nodded to show her she was on the right track.

Daxter figured out the next half. "You want to go to the jungle?"

Jak nodded triumphantly. "The Jungle?" Keira asked, looking slightly nervous. "I don't know… Daddy told me never to go into the Jungle. There's piranha, snakes, and… and Lurkers in there."

"Oh, come on, Keir!" Daxter said. "That's the most brilliant thing that Jak's ever come up with! Explore the Jungle… why didn't I think of that?" Everyone will think we're heroes!"

"But… the Lurkers?" Keira asked.

"Listen, girlie, I've lived here since before you two showed up three years ago and I have never _once_ even seen a Lurker! I don't think they exist. Lurkers around the village are just tales that parents tell us gullible children to stop us from misbehaving… like Santa Clause." Daxter gave a meaningful glance at Jak.

Jak looked away, embarrassed. He never knew about Santa Clause, or Christmas before he turned up in Sandover village, and Keira and Samos were equally ignorant of the holiday. (Daxter often wondered where Jak and the others came from as to have absolutely no idea what Christmas was.) Anyway, Jak was overjoyed at the concept, but two years ago when he was seven he found out, as all children eventually do, that Santa Clause wasn't real. He had sulked for days and Daxter, the self-proclaimed 'realist' had made fun of him ever since.

"Enough of that!" Keira said, glaring at Daxter. "You must've believed in him as some point of your life!"

"Yeah, I did." Daxter said. "That was until I found my dad in a Santa suit putting presents under the tree."

Jak waved his hands for attention, and then pointed to the jungle again.

"All righty, hold your yakows!" Daxter said. "Off we go!" They began to head towards the jungle. Then he looked back at Keira. "Yo, you comin'?"

Keira hesitated, for she had always been the good girl of the group, and always rather reluctant to disobey her father. Then she sighed. "Okay, I'll go."

* * *

"So began the expedition. After tramping around a hot, steamy tropical jungle for days, and getting attacked by dozens of terrifying predators, the group is lost with no food and no water. How much longer until they start to turn on each other?"

"Daxter, shut-up!" Keira hissed angrily. "We've only been in here for five minutes and we've yet to be attacked by anything."

Daxter looked around at the surrounding jungle, you could still see Sandover in the distance. "Oh… I knew that."

Jak wasn't listening, he was looking up in a tree, an amazed expression on his face.

"Hey, Jak, what is it?" Daxter asked, and then he looked up and gasped. There was a huge… thing hanging off one of the sturdier branches of the tree.

"Wumpbee nest." Keira said, looking at it.

Wumpbees were a common type of insect in the jungle. Very much like the honeybees, Wumpbees made honey. The only difference was size. Wumpbees are huge. Some could get up to five inches in length, and their barbed stingers were about an inch long. Quite a painful experience to get stung by one. That is why only professionals dared to venture near the nests. However, the three children down below were young, naïve, and had never encountered or been stung by a Wumpbee before, so they didn't have the sense to run away.

In short, they were being stupid little kids.

Jak, in one of his rare fits of stupidity, began to scale the tree. "Jak?" Daxter called up after him. "What are you doing?" Daxter yelled as the elf climbed the tree expertly.

Jak paused, looked down at Daxter, and then pointed up at the nest. Then he continued to climb.

"What's he doing?" Keira asked.

"I think he wants to get a closer look." Daxter said.

"No, Jak, the Wumpbees might get mad if you get near their nest. I've heard about a guy who got stung…" Keira began worriedly.

"Come on, Keir, you sound like old Log-Knog." Daxter said. "Let Jak have his fun."

Keira watched worriedly as Jak reached the nest.

Jak was amazed at just how big the nest was. It looked even bigger up close. It had to be at least ten feet long. Jak reached out curiously and performed the dumbest thing he had ever done in his young life… he tapped on the outer covering of the nest.

Then came the monstrous buzzing. Then, over the buzzing, a voice echoed in Jak's head, a voice he was sure he heard before, but could quite place. 'Oh, and trust me on this… stay away from any Wumpbee nests on your ninth birthday, okay?'

 _What? Where did that come from?_ Jak wondered to himself. The buzzing seemed laugh at him. _Too late now, dummy._

Suddenly, the monstrous Wumpbees began to fly out of the nest. There were screams down below and Jak began to hurry down the tree as fast as humanly possible. However, the Wumpbees were much faster. They swarmed the unlucky intruder. Jak was forced to drop the last ten feet out of the tree. However, he must've landed wrong, because he felt a sharp pain from his ankle and let out a cry. Sprained.

Daxter and Keira rushed forward and grabbed the poor boy, physically dragging him along while the Wumpbees continued their merciless attack.

* * *

Samos was sitting in his study, trying to cure a fern that had abnormally twisted stems. (Samos somehow suspected that Daxter was involved.) Then the sounds of footsteps greeted him.

"You kids back?" Samos turned around and gasped. Three perverbal pincushions stood in the doorway. The two on the outside were recognizable, as they were only partially covered in Wumpbee stings. One was Keira and the other was Daxter. They supported a third party that was so covered in stings that he couldn't tell who it was. "What happened here? Who's that?" He asked, looking at the middle pincushion.

"Jak." Daxter said tearfully and winched with every movement.

"Oh my Precursors!" Samos gasped, taking the boy out of Keira and Daxter's grip, who both cried out with the sudden movement. "You three! Get in here now!"

* * *

(Back in the Present)

"You get stung over a thousand times and you'd come to fear them too." Jak defended himself.

"Wumpbees, huh?" Damas asked. "Nasty little bugs. I wouldn't want to gut stung over a thousand times. But, for now, it is time for you to enter the arena…"

"Wait a second, Mr. Sand King." Daxter spoke up. "I'd like to place a complaint. We've been training hard, my feet are killing me, and I think I'm getting a hangnail! So maybe I'll just sit this one out…"

"Enough talk." Damas said. "The arena awaits."

* * *

A short while later and Jak walked into the arena. This time, the set up was extremely different from the first time. This time, the platform the battle was to take place on was huge, nearly spanning the entire ground level. There was a large cage at one end of the platform, and Jak could bet that the cage didn't have a cute little crocadog in it. The whatever-it-was suddenly let loose a long, hissing shriek.

Several people, including Jak, covered their ears against the sound. The shriek continued for ten seconds before it finally died down.

"Holy Yakkow! What was that?" Daxter demanded.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure that it's going to try and kill us." Jak said.

"Great." Daxter said sarcastically. "I hate these 'kill' type trials."

"They are the only kind I ever get." Jak said, stepping onto the elevator. The elevator moved down towards the arena. Once it stopped, Jak jumped onto the metal platform. The elevator retreated.

Daxter grew nervous. "There's no way to get out of here if something goes wrong." He whispered.

"If something goes wrong, then I don't expect them to save us." Jak said. "They want us to win or die trying."

"Great." Daxter repeated. "I'll bet these people are betting on us dying."

"I don't think so." Jak said, looking up at the stands. Several people were leaning forward in their seats, eager for the upcoming battle. Several people were cheering. "I think they want another show."

"Well, knock yourself out… or rather, don't." Daxter said.

Suddenly, the cage began to open and a large monster stepped out from the darkness. It stood about twenty feet tall and it was covered in Elvin-made armor, signaling that the whatever-it-is was not a Metal-Head.

It was covered in poisonous green leather skin and stood on its back two legs. A tail that was as long as its body swept stiffly behind it. It had long, strong arms that ended in four steel-tipped claws. It could have been a Metal-Head Beast if it weren't for its size and the obvious fact that it wasn't a Metal-Head. Its glaring red eyes found Jak and it roared out a challenge.

Jak concentrated hard, harder than necessary for a single weapon. Then two long swords appeared, one in each hand. Duel-wielding was a trick that Jak had practiced during the months of lethargy. It took an enormous amount of concentration. It was like serious multi-tasking: concentrating on two weapons and a battle at the same time, something that was very difficult.

Jak watched the monster. He was electrified, he was on tether hooks. He was ready to react at a moment's notice. The monster roared again and charged.

It raised its claws and brought them down on Jak, who was forced to leap out of the way. The steel-tipped claws hit the steel ground with the force of a few tons. There was a shrieking sound s the claws tore through the platform. Lava bubbled onto the platform, forcing Jak back even more to avoid being burned to death.

The monster disengaged its claws and came after Jak again. Jak was forced back even further by the fury of the monster's attacks. The back of his foot felt the ground disappear. He had reached the end of the platform and he could run away no longer.

With no where else to go, Jak leapt forward, rolled under the creature's guard, and stabbed it right in the back right foot, jamming the sword all the way through and pinning it to the ground.

The monster roared in anger and ripped its foot away; tearing it's clawed foot in half. The monster roared again and fell over.

Jak moved forward to finish it off when the creature suddenly stood back up, supporting itself on its remaining three limbs, the back-right foot hanging uselessly under it.

"Shit!" Jak hissed.

The monster leapt forward, this time, trying to bite Jak's head off. Jak dodged this first attack, and the monster attacked again. This time, Jak disappeared inside its over-sized mouth.

Everyone gasped, even Damas leaned forward on his throne.

The monster chewed, as if trying to chew through really tough meat. Then, quite suddenly, it let out a roar of pain. Something was forcing its way painfully out of the top of its head, piercing the brain. Then the tip of a unique weapon, a weapon made entirely out of Dark Eco, appeared to sprout from the top of the monster's head. The creature let out a low death-moan and then fell to the ground, lifeless.

Several seconds passed, it seemed that everyone in the stadium was holding their breath. Then the mouth of the monster began to open and, finally, Jak emerged, slime-covered, but perfectly fine.

The entire arena roared with applause. It would have taken quick thinking to think of sticking a blade through the roof of the lizard's mouth. But Jak was too disgusted at the moment to notice the people's elation. He wiped some slime off his face. "Ugh! That is not what I call fun!"

"I'll kill him! I'll kill him!" Daxter emerged from the mouth of the dead beast, he too was covered in slime. "JAK!" He yelled. "Next time you decided to get eaten, leave me behind!"

"Sorry about that." Jak said. "I'll be sure to tell you next time." He walked over to the beast and kicked it for good measure. Then he walked over to the elevator, which had reappeared, and the elevator took him to the platform under Damas' throne.

Pecker's mouth was hanging open. "I can't believe you two are still alive!"

Jak wiped some more slime out of his hair. "Yeah, what a surprise." He hissed.

"Damas and I are very impressed." Pecker said.

"Hey, feather-butt! Who appointed you King?" Daxter demanded.

"He did!" Pecker said instantly, pointing at Damas. Damas gave the moncaw a glare. "I mean… sort of. Kind of a 'semi-King', you know." Pecker corrected. "You should see our sleeping quarters and his harem of love birds!" Pecker sighed. "I never get any sleep these days." He laughed. "It's good to be the King, no?" He asked Damas, who smiled.

"I don't see no crown on that fat feather head!" Daxter pointed out loudly.

Pecker growled angrily. "You want a crown? I'll crown you! Don't make me come down there from this perch!" He pointed at the arm of Damas' throne where he sat.

"I gotta perch for ya right here, birdie!" Daxter jumped off Jak's shoulder. "Twirl on it!" Daxter brandished a single finger in Pecker's direction.

It seemed that this gesture was simply the straw that broke the Yakow's back. "That's it! It's go time!" Pecker flew down at Daxter in a flurry of fur and feathers.

"Bring it on, bird-brain!" Daxter yelled.

Suddenly, Damas stood up from his throne. "Enough!" He ordered. Daxter and Pecker stopped instantly. Pecker was attempting to strangle Daxter while the Ottsel had one fist cocked back ready to punch Pecker in the face. "If I wanted you to fight, I would have commanded it!"

"You're the King!" Daxter said, letting go of Pecker.

"Yes, sire." Pecker said, letting go of Daxter.

Damas turned and looked down at Jak. "You did very well, Jak. You make me proud…" Damas paused, looking slightly embarrassed. "That our training program is so good." He finished awkwardly, as if he wasn't used to giving people compliments. Jak was also confused by the situation. When was the last time someone said he had made them proud? It had to have been years.

Jak felt his throat close up with an unknown emotion. _Oh God, no! Don't do it! Don't get all emotional!_ Jak thought desperately. He cleared his throat discreetly to clear up the pent-up emotions.

Damas continued. "For your bravery and resourcefulness that you demonstrated today on the battle field, you have earned your second war amulet." He tossed Jak a new piece of the amulet that would fit smoothly one the outside of the round piece he already had. "Just one more arena win, and you'll be a true Wastelander."

Jak nodded.


	14. "I Never Knew My Father"

A few days later, Jak was called to the garage, presumably because there was a task that needed doing.

So he suited up his armor and hurried out the door, Daxter in his arms because it was still early in the morning and he was still asleep.

He woke up about halfway to the garage. "Whoa! What's going on?" How else should he react when the last thing you remember is going to sleep in your friend's house and waking up outside?

"We've got a job to do." Jak said simply.

"Great…" Then the orange rat added in an undertone. "Where have I heard that before?"

"I heard that." Jak said as he walked into the garage. And, to his annoyance, Kleiver was standing there waiting for them. "Oh no, am I working with you?" Jak demanded.

"Yes you are, mate." Kleiver said. "Damas has a job for us, but I'm no babysitter, so stay outta my way!"

"Jak's not afraid of you!" Daxter said, then he looked worriedly at Jak. "Are ya, Jak?"

Before Jak could answer, Kleiver said. "If you two knew what was happenin' out here, you'd be afraid all right."

Suddenly, a new party joined the group. It was Damas, he walked up to the group, a look of annoyance plain on his face. "What's going on here, Kleiver?" He demanded.

"Nothin', your Lordship." Kleiver said. "Just offerin' Jak and the little one here…" He scratched under Daxter's chin. "Some healthy advice."

Damas glared down at Jak. He put a hand on the shoulder that wasn't occupied by Daxter, and led the young elf a slight distance from Kleiver. "You've got quite a reputation." He said. "You are probably the single most famous elf since the Great Mar himself. However, you don't just have good rumors following you. You have a reputation for being rash and hotheaded. Didn't your father ever tell you to pick your battles wisely?"

Daxter's eyes widened as Damas touched a sore subject. Jak's face was unreadable as he turned away. "I never knew my father." He said simply.

Damas blinked, Kleiver snorted. "Bastard child."

Jak's emotionless face turned into one of anger. "I'm not a bastard child! For your information, both my parents are gone."

"Orphan, huh?" Kleiver asked.

"You could say that."

"My point is…" Damas interrupted as if he hadn't heard Jak's comment. "Sometimes you face your enemy head on, but sometimes you must wait until his weakness is revealed. Patience is a warrior's greatest weapon. Do you understand?"

"Yes." Jak said, nodding.

"Jak," Damas said, suddenly totally business. "I need you and Kleiver to go to the old ruins in the Wasteland and herd a group of wild Leaper Lizards into a waiting transport. There are difficult times ahead, and I'll need all the resources that we can gather."

"What sort of difficult times?" Jak asked, out of curiosity.

"Interesting question." Damas said. "One that I wish I knew the answer to. You'll have to go as ask an Oracle or Onin. Though I'd recommend neither, as both have an annoying tendency to speak in riddles."

Jak stared at Damas. "You know Onin?"

"The old soothsayer in Haven? Doesn't everybody?" Damas asked. "I once lived in Haven too, remember?"

"Oh… sorry." Jak said, thinking he may have touched a painful memory.

"Don't be. I love Spargus more than I ever did Haven. Now, hurry up. Those Leaper Lizards are not going to wait for you. Oh, and these are not domesticated, these are wild Lizards. Don't expect them to walk right up to you."

"No problem. I'm good with animals." Jak said with a significant look at Daxter, who was sitting on the ground nearby.

He was busy scratching behind his ear with his back leg twisted up in a very cat-like manner. Daxter stopped and growled at Jak. "I'm not an animal!"

"Sure, whatever you say." Jak said, rolling his eyes. "You were born an elf, but now you are more an animal than anything."

Jak moved towards the Sand Shark, but a large staff/weapon suddenly blocked his way. It was Kleiver. "See ya out there… chum." Kleiver walked away, laughing to himself.

"He wants to eat me! He wants to eat me!" Daxter pointed at Kleiver's retreating back. "Just my luck, almost eaten twice in only a few days!"

"Speak for yourself." Jak said, jumping into the Sand Shark. "I almost got eaten too, and I even got chewed on a little! Remind me never to almost let me get eaten again!" He took off into the Wasteland after Kleiver, pulling down his goggles and pulling up his scarf.

"Amen to dat, brother!" Daxter said, closing his eyes against the first blast of sand, and then lowering his own goggles over his eyes.

They drove past the vast plane that stretched past the gates of Spargus. Once they were out of the planes, they were attacked by Marauders.

Jak found it strange that he never saw the Marauders enter the plane of Spargus. He had never seen them go into the Ancient ruins, either. It seemed they were a suspicious group of people. He could believe that. The Marauders seemed extremely primitive. They only had their vehicles, which were held together with spit and prayers, and their fort. As far as technology goes for the Marauders, that was about it. Also, they couldn't shoot fish in a barrel. If Jak ever cared, he would've stood in the middle of the open desert and let them shoot at him, with only a little fear of getting hit.

He floored the accelerator and fired the chain-gun. The bullets tore through the vehicles armor and the car practically fell apart at the seams. The Marauder got out of the wreak, yelling swears and curses in his own language as Jak flew past. "Sorry about that!" Jak yelled back at the Marauder, but he didn't mean it. He continued on his way.

* * *

About a half an hour and several Leaper Lizards later, Jak jumped out of the Sand Shark. Kleiver walked over to the duo. He had never seen anything like what the two could do together. Jak would drive up behind a Leaper, and then Daxter would jump on its back and ride it bucking bronco-style into the pen. They repeated this until they passed Kleiver's number of caught Leapers by quite an amount. _Maybe…_ Kleiver thought to himself. _There are some advantages to having a sidekick._

"I've got to admit, you've got some talent, kid." He said to Jak. "Have another one of me vehicles, ya earned it." He pointed at a strange vehicle parked just to the side. It was covered in a medium amount of armor and sported a grenade launcher as a weapon. It was the one that Jak noticed earlier, the one that seemed built for jumping. "The Dune Hopper, if you will."

"Sweet." Jak said, jogging over and jumping into the seat. The restraint, instead of being a normal one, came down from over is head, holding him firmly in place. "What's with the weird restraints?" Jak asked.

"So you don't go flying out of the buggy when it jumps." Kleiver said.

Curious, Jak pressed the button that triggered the jump mechanism. To his surprise, the car shot up into the air about ten feet before coming back down to the ground. Daxter screamed, but he stopped when he realized that nothing was happening. "Wow." Jak said, it was all he could say. When he recovered proper use of his voice, he asked. "But… what is this thing really for?"

"Well, going full speed and with a twenty foot jump, you could visit the monk's Precursor Temple on Temple Island. They say that deep in that old ruin is the greatest Oracle ever built." Kleiver laughed. "Yeah right, Oracles are just rumors."

"The Greatest Oracle ever made?" Jak demanded quickly, ignoring Kleiver's comment.

"So I've heard." Kleiver said. "There are pretty weird stuff on that Island, even without the Oracle… monk stuff, ya know."

"Hey! I've got a idea!" Daxter said.

"You want to go there, right?" Jak asked. "Sure, why not? Maybe we can ask this Oracle just what the hell is going on."

"The perfect question to ask the all mighty Oracle!" Daxter said.

"You can bet that it will be well protected." Jak said.

"You bet." Kleiver joined in the conversation. "You know how the monks are with those Ancient secrets. They guard them with their life. No one except the Priestess can visit all the parts of the temple."

"Seem…" Jak sighed. "She'll never let me get within a mile of that Oracle."

"Maybe we should just go in, talk with it, and then slip out before anyone notices." Daxter suggested.

Now, Kleiver really had to join in. He might not care for the Precursor monks that much, but he knew an awful lot about them. "Doubt it." He said. "No one can sneak in. They've got security around that thing day and night. It's impossible."

"Kleiver…" Jak sighed once again. "I've put up with you, but I have my limit, and its considerably shorter than most."

Now… now Jak was determined to find a way to the Oracle. Kleiver had said it was impossible to break into the Temple, and Jak's inner criminal could not resist a break-in challenge.

* * *


	15. The Precursor Temple

After using the Dune Hopper to reach the island that held the home of the 'Golden Order of Precursor Monks', Jak walked up to the large double doors. The doors opened automatically, as he expected. Anyone could enter to worship, and even though Jak didn't have that goal in mind, he would still be allowed in by whatever force guarded the doors.

What Jak worried about was running into Seem, as she would never allow a tainted Dark Eco Freak to contaminate the sacred halls of the ancient temple. But, to Jak's surprise, the entrance hall was devoid of all life. Jak walked in and looked up. The temple had no covering, as was custom, which exposed the room to the elements. The entrance hall was built in a circular fashion. There were hieroglyphs on the walls depicting the famous exploits of the Precursors and even a few elves. The elf that appeared more than any other was Mar, of course.

One large picture of his ancestor caught his eye. It was too realistic to simply be an artist imagining what Mar must've looked like. Jak was sure that it was a true picture of Mar, an accurate representation of what he looked like. Jak studied this carving on the wall and noted the similarities that he and the ancient warrior shared. He and Mar could have been twins if it weren't for the fact that Mar's eyes were green, not blue, and his hair was completely green, it lacked Jak's blonde highlights. But, what really caught Jak's attention were the two weapons that Mar held in his fists. The weapon in his left hand was painted a deep purple, and it seemed to absorb the light around it, a Dark Eco blade exactly like the one that Jak could conjure. The other weapon was even stranger and it confused Jak. Instead of a Dark blade, the one in his right hand seemed to be made out of pure light. Even though the figure was nothing more than a carving, the artist who carved it somehow managed to make it seem like the sword was made out of light, and it had its own glow. It was the exact opposite of the Dark blade in his left hand. _Opposite?_ Jak thought suddenly. _Could Mar control both Dark Eco and Light Eco as well as I can control the Darkness?_

He couldn't imagine the people allowing anyone with a destructive Dark Side to become King. It made him worried that if the people of Haven ever found out he was the Crown Prince… _Wait… they banished me!_ There was hope! Maybe Haven didn't know that Mar was a Dark Eco Freak… maybe he had more control over his Dark Side then Jak had of his.

Strangely enough, the very thought that there might have been another Dark Creature angered Dark. At first, Jak was confused, then he realized… It all went down to his 'primitive male behavior', just like his aggression and his slight territorial habits. This was the dominance instinct, however. This new creature was a threat to Dark's dominance, and he wanted to put it in its place.

 _Mar is dead._ Jak thought at his inner demon. _I highly doubt that he is in the fighting mood._

Dark growled, but didn't really respond. Jak almost laughed out loud, but he couldn't help a small chuckle.

"What? What? What's so funny?" Daxter asked.

"Nothing." Jak said. This was a true 'inside joke'. Jak looked away from Mar's picture and he caught a glimpse of something. At first, he took no notice of it, and then he did a double take. He walked over, surprised. It was an idol, one made out of Dark Eco.

"Hey! No fair!" Daxter exclaimed. "She calls you 'tainted' and stuff, but she keeps stuff like this in her temple?"

Jak was reaching out to touch the idol when Daxter hit him on the head. "Ow!" Jak hissed, more out of surprise than actual pain.

"Don't you dare go all 'hypno-crazy' on me!" Daxter hissed. "I've seen you go hypno-crazy enough times during our last adventure!"

"I wasn't hypnotized. I just wanted to touch it." Jak said.

"Well, don't!" Daxter said. "You're obsessed with Dark Eco! You're a drug addict and Dark Eco is your drug!" Daxter then started to do a mocking imitation of Jak. "Oh! Dark Eco! I wanna touch it!" Then he returned back to his normal voice. "Maybe I still have trace amounts of Dark Eco inside me and that's why you're stuck around for so long! I'm your Dark Eco cat-nip!"

"Okay!" Jak interrupted before Daxter could build up steam. "That just sounds wrong! Snap out of it!" He hit Daxter across the head, with more painful results.

"Ow! Hey! Okay, I'm sorry!" Daxter said.

"Look!" Jak said, pointing. There was a single hallway leading off into the temple's depths. It was a thirty-foot long hallway with a stone door at the end. Jak stepped into the hallway, and walked five steps before he heard a clicking sound. Instantly, he leapt backwards just as the entire hallway filled with spikes. They came out of the floor, the ceiling, and the walls in a confused mess. However, the confusion only made it worse. It was impossible for even the nimblest elf to squeeze through. Even Jak, using every ounce of agility he had, could not hope to cross the spikes.

"Dax? Can you get through?" Jak asked, hoping Daxter's smaller size might help them.

Daxter studied the spikes. "That's a big negatory, Big J." Daxter said. "There are some things even I can't do."

Jak growled, looking back at the spikes. He couldn't force his way through either. Wouldn't you know it? The spikes were made out of Precursor Metal. Even a being that was ten times more powerful and stronger than Jak could never hope to bend or snap the metal. Dark Eco couldn't melt it like steel, because the Metal had been originally designed to store the deadly substance.

Jak roared in primeval rage. He would not allow himself to be beaten that easily!

"Whoa! Calm down!" Daxter ordered. "There has to be another way in."

Jak took several deep breaths to calm himself. "You're right." He said, rather grudgingly. The spikes retreated back into the walls, leaving an empty hallway once again. "What triggers the spikes?" He asked himself.

"Look!" Daxter said, point toward the end of the hallway. Floating above the door was a large eye. The slitted pupil moved up and down the long hallway, ever alert.

"A visual guardian?" Jak asked, and then he shook his head. "I don't think I could get past that."

"Don't worry, let's just go up." Daxter suggested.

"Up?"

"There's nowhere left to go expect up." Daxter said, pointing up.

"The roof!" Jak gasped, understanding.

"Exactly." Daxter said.

Jak moved away from the hallway. He looked around the room for a likely place to go up. There was a small ledge about ten feet up and Jak leapt for it, and then he swung up. He moved across the small ledge. There was a carving that was set in the stone, and it was set just far enough out of the stone that Jak could scale it, which is what he did. The carving created an abundance of handholds, so this posed no problem to Jak. At the top, there was a ledge that led to a short stair well.

He walked up the stairs. At the top, the passage dropped into thin air, thirty feet above the ground. The elf looked around. There was a ledge about ten feet away from his current position, but it didn't seem too stable. He would need somewhere else to go almost immediately. A banner sticking out of the wall on a pole caught Jak's eye. Above that banner, about ten feet up, was another banner with another ledge right next to it.

Jak jumped for the ledge and landed easily. The ledge began to crumble almost instantly, so he jumped for the pole. He caught it, swung, and let go at just the right moment. He flew straight up and fell back down, landing perfectly balanced on the pole.

He jumped up on the pole, and it bent under his weight, and then he used the whiplash momentum to propel him up into the next pole. He grabbed the second pole, swung, and let go, landing on the ledge. The roof was only a single small jump away, so Jak jumped and landed on the small platform of the roof. It was amazing, they were a hundred feet above the Wasteland, and they could see miles in every direction.

There was a strange primitive glider lying on the ground near by. "Oh, sweet!" Daxter commented.

Jak looked at the large volcano that rose over the Wasteland in the distance. "Remember how Seem said she'd lost an expedition of monks in the volcano? I'll bet they built these gliders to reach the top."

"Yeah, 'lost' being the operative word." Daxter said, sliding off Jak's shoulder. "If they vanished, don't you think that was a sign? Besides, we have an Oracle to break into!"

Jak looked around, it seemed that there was no secondary route into the temple from the roof. There was nowhere else to go. "How do you propose we get to the Oracle?"

"Uh…" Daxter said, uncertainly. "What about the vanishing monks?"

"What about the monks? You've got me, and I'm better at avoiding danger than any stuck-up Precursor monk." Jak said. "All we have to do is ride this glider into the volcano, and then it will be smooth sailing."

"No way!" Daxter yelled. "Are you asking me to ride a rickety glider into the heart of a volcano? Are you crazy? Do you see any feathers here? Looks like fur to me! No feathers, no _flya-de-Ottsel_! There's no way you'll ever get me on that Precursor monk crap! Absolutely zip-o chance!" Daxter turned his back to Jak in protest. "Forget it! Finiteo! Fat chance! Not gonna happen! Nope! Nuh-nuh! Never!"

Jak merely smiled evilly. He reached down to Daxter. Daxter seemed to sense what Jak was doing; he turned around just as the larger elf grabbed him.

"Hey! Let me go!" Daxter protested, hitting Jak's hand in an attempt to let him go.

"Sorry, Dax." Jak said. "But you need to learn that you don't need wings to fly." He grabbed the glider, took a running start, and jumped off the edge of the temple.

The glider went into a nose-dive and Daxter screamed. "JAAAAK!" Then they hit an updraft, the cloth 'wings' of the glider filled up with hot air and it pulled out of the dive and soared back into the air.

* * *

The rest of the trip was easy as there were thermals all over the Wasteland. Along with sand, hot air is the one thing of abundance in the desert.

Jak flew the glider through a tight tunnel in the side of the volcano. The tunnel ended in a steep dive and Jak had to pull up quickly to avoid smashing into the ground. However, he ended up crashing into a large wooden support beam instead. The glider disintegrated, but Jak managed to land safely on the ground.

Jak looked at the sorry remains of the glider. "Well, now we can't go back the way we came. Come on, Dax, let's check it out."

"Right behind ya, partner!" Daxter's voice said from above. The elf looked up and saw Daxter hanging from the wooden beam. "Far behind ya." Daxter corrected. "Jak! Help!" He called.

"It's alright, Dax." Jak said, standing underneath him. "Just drop, I'll catch you."

"No! You'll drop me!" Daxter yelled.

"Daxter! I can catch things that weigh hundreds of times more than you do, now drop!"

Daxter hesitated a second, and then let go of the beam. And, true to his word, Jak easily caught the Ottsel. "Hey! You managed to not drop me!" Daxter exclaimed as he scrambled to his usual place on Jak's shoulder.

"Hey, look." Jak said, looking off to the side. "A Warp Gate!" he pointed at the familiar glowing ring that was set in an alcove. Then he saw the guardian eye thing that was watching him. "Great. That thing will never let me get near that gate. Hey! It's another one of those Dark Eco Idols." Indeed, there was a glowing statue in the corner.

"I know what you're thinking, and the answer's no!" Daxter said. "You've got us stuck in the middle of this stinkin' volcano, and now you've got to get us out!"

"Fine, fine, let's go." Jak said, moving down a path carved through the rock. He walked into the central area of the volcano and was blasted with heat. He guessed that the air had to be a hundred and thirty degrees. Though Jak the Havener, or Jak of Sandover wouldn't have a hope of surviving such temperatures for long, Jak the Wastelander found the excessive temperatures only slightly irritating.

However, they were almost immediately encountered with a problem. There was a gap before them, twenty-four feet long. Jak was unsure if he could clear the distance. If there was no danger should he miss, he would have tried it anyway. But down below was a pool of molten, red-hot lava. Jak was not prepared to stake his life on his jumping ability.

Then he saw it, a column thirty feet tall, right next to the gap. If it fell over, then he could use it as a makeshift bridge. Great, except it was on the other side of the gap. Then he looked down at Daxter, and he got an idea. "Dax, so do you want to learn how to fly?"

"Didn't I tell you before? No flya-de…." Daxter paused as he realized Jak's plan. "Wait! You want to toss me over there, don't you? You can't get yourself over there, but you want to throw me? Besides, how am I supposed to knock down that freakin' huge rock?"

"That is a pickle." Jak admitted. "You figure it out." He picked up the rodent and tossed him across the gap. Daxter landed safely… on his face.

The Ottsel got up, grumbling different swears and curses at Jak. He walked over to the column and noted how huge it was. He leaned against it to think when he heard a cracking sound. The pillar was tipping over! It must've been unstable in the first place. It fell and crashed, making the desired bridge. Jak ran across.

"Good job, Dax." He said.

"Ah… it was nothing!" Daxter bragged. "It was only a toothpick! I could take on rocks three times that size!"

"Sure, Dax." Jak said, rolling his eyes at Daxter's irrepressible ego. He moved deeper into the volcano.

* * *

After several minutes of walking they came across another problem that Jak alone could not solve. They came to a river of lava. There was an island in the center and on top of the island sat the Dark Maker Satellite that they were looking for. However, it was too far away for Jak to jump.

Have you ever heard the phrase 'You cannot jump a chasm in two small leaps'? The same idea can be applied to a river of lava.

What Jak needed was a way to make it safe for two large jumps. He looked around his surroundings, and then up. There was a ledge far above his head with a medium-sized rock hanging over it.

Jak grabbed Daxter without warning from his shoulder. "Dax, you see that rock? Get it down here." Jak tossed him up on the ledge.

This time, Daxter managed to land on his feet. He got up and glared down at Jak angrily. "Go 'head and say it, Jak! Fetch it, Daxter! Fetch the rock!"

"Nonsense!" Jak said, then he grinned. "You only tell a crocadog to fetch. Ottsels are 'get'!"

"Hahaha." Daxter laughed sarcastically. "You're a riot." Then he began to work on getting the rock down to ground level. He pushed it, shoved it, pleaded with it, and even swore at it, but it refused to budge. Finally, he was reduced to jumping up and down on it angrily.

Suddenly, it began to move and Daxter was going down with it. He then realized just how screwed he was.

Jak looked away just in time as the stone landed. Then he looked again. Daxter was no where to be seen, meaning he was under…

"Oh God!" Jak rushed forward and picked up the rock. Daxter was there, and he seemed to be alive. "Dax! Are you all right?" Jak asked worriedly.

Daxter looked up at his friend with glazed eyes. "Mommy, is that you?" He asked in a dazed sort of way.

"No, Dax, snap out of it!" Jak said. It took a short while, but Daxter came too.

"Jak?"

"Oh, good, you're all right." Jak said, relieved that his friend was now himself and not calling him 'mommy'.

"What happened?" Daxter asked.

"Er… nothing." Jak said quickly. He helped Daxter on to his shoulder, and then he picked up the rock again. He walked over to the lava river and tossed the rock. It landed about twenty feet away. Before it sunk into the lava, Jak jumped, landed on it, and jumped to the island. He landed safely.

The Dark Satellite sat there, but that is not what first caught the duo's eyes. It was a monk holding another Dark Idol. The monk was dead, mummified by the evil powers of Dark Eco.

Another victim of Dark Eco. A scream of pain was frozen forever on the monk's face. It made Jak slightly uncomfortable. It was yet another reminder of just how dangerous and deadly the force inside him was.

Daxter jumped off Jak's shoulder and stared at the monk. He pointed at the Dark Idol the monk still had clutched in his arms, even in death. "Looks like it didn't agree with him." Daxter remarked.

"That's the third time we've seen those Idols. I guess you're still going to refuse to let me touch it, huh?"

"That's right!" Daxter said, moving toward the Idol and raising his hand to touch it.

"Don't touch it, Daxter!" Jak said suddenly when he saw Daxter's intentions. "Who knows what more Dark Eco will do to you."

"Look at me, Jak!" Daxter yelled. "I'm short! I'm hairy! And I itch in strange places! I couldn't do worse. Besides, I come in contact with Mr. Purple all the time, and I haven't been affected. Relax, I know what I'm doing." He moved up to the monk and reached out to the Idol, but his hand stopped about an inch away.

Jak moved closer, worried. "Dax?"

"Yuck! Cold… clammy dead hands! Oh, I can't look!" Daxter looked away and grabbed the Idol, with no harm to himself, and he began to tug.

Suddenly, it came loose and Daxter, not expecting it, lost his footing. He fell back and tossed the Idol into the air. It started to come down on Daxter…

"Look out, Dax!" Jak jumped forward and made a diving catch. Then, in that instant, to Daxter's amazement, Jak disappeared into thin air. The Idol went flying off; hit the ground hard, and broke into a thousand pieces.

Daxter got up off the ground and looked around for his friend. Jak was nowhere to be found. "Jak? Jak! Buddy? Where are you?" He called.

"Dax? I'm right here." Jak's voice said.

Daxter spun around, but saw no trace of his friend anywhere. "Jak?"

"Dax? Are you blind? I'm right here." Jak's voice said.

"Where?"

"You're looking right at me."

Daxter looked dead in front of him. There was a slight shimmering in the air, barely noticeable. "Jak?"

"Yeah?"

"Uh… look down at yourself." Daxter said.

There was a pause, and then. "Hey! My body's gone!"

Daxter moved forward, his arms held out like a blind man. Then his paws came into contact with an invisible solid something. "Is this you?" He asked.

"I'm invisible!" Jak exclaimed. "How could I be invisible?" A pause. "The Idol! This must be a Dark Power!"

Suddenly, Daxter felt something pick him up. "I'm praying to the Precursors that that's you." He said.

"It's me." Jak assured him.

"This is creepy." Daxter said, looking at the ground below him. "I can feel you holding me, but it looks like I'm floating in mid-air."

"Hey! If these Idols can turn me invisible…" Jak began.

"We can use them to sneak past the eye guardians!" Daxter finished.

Jak set Daxter back down on the ground. The invisible elf noted the rather upset look on Daxter's face. "Are you all right?" He asked.

"Sure. But I can't help thinking that if you moved that fast a long time ago, I'd still be wearing pants!" Daxter started to walk away, and then he stopped and shook his head. "Do you know what I really miss?"

"No, but I'm about to find out, aren't I?"

"Soft underpants." Daxter said with a sigh. "You know how it 'lifts and cradles'?"

"…"

Daxter sighed again, irritably this time. "You wouldn't understand…"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jak demanded angrily. "Are you saying I have no…"

"What I'm saying is you robbed me!" Daxter accused.

"Of what?"

"PANTS!" Daxter roared. "You try walking around with no pants!"

It was impossible to tell Jak's true reaction to this statement, for he was still invisible. "I believe that is illegal." He said. "It's called 'Indecent Exposure'."

"Whatever." Daxter said. "Let's get out of here." A pause.

"So… when do you think this will wear off?" Jak asked offhandedly, referring to the invisibility.

"Hmm. Who knows?" Daxter said. "You could be stuck this way forever."

"What? I can't be invisible forever!" Jak yelled.

"Think of it this way, you'd be wicked good at 'Hide-And-Seek'."

"…"

"You'd be great at 'Guess-Who?'"

"… Dax?"

"Messing with people's minds! Making them think they are hearing voices!"

"Dax!"

Daxter looked and Jak was returning to the visible spectrum. "Oh, forget that then."

"Come on, Daxter." Jak said, Daxter jumped up onto his spot on Jak's shoulder. "We've got a temple to break into." They walked back to the entrance.

* * *

Back at the entrance, Jak walked right up to the Dark Eco Idol and touched it. He watched as his hand disappeared before his eyes.

"Jak? We've got a problem." Daxter said.

"What?" Jak asked, looking at Daxter. Wait… 'looking' at him? "You're not invisible!"

"I guess it doesn't work on me." Daxter said. "What do we do now?"

Jak thought for a second. The answer was clear, even though Daxter might get slightly uncomfortable. "Get inside my holster."

"What?"

"Where my Morph-Gun used to go." Jak said. "That should hide you in my invisibility."

Jak waited a second, and then came Daxter's slightly muffled voice. "Okay… I'm good…"

Jak moved towards the warp gate and walked underneath the eye without it noticing. Jak jumped into the Warp Gate and disappeared.


	16. Return of the Pure Light

Jak ended up back in the main chamber of the temple. He was surprised to find that he was visible again. He looked back at the Warp Gate, figuring that the act of warping negated the invisibility.

No problem. Jak walked over to the Dark Idol that he noted before. He touched it and he became invisible again. He walked over to the hall and walked calmly down it, under the guardian eye, and through the doorway.

* * *

He walked down the hallway and came across the problem room. There was a switch in the middle of the room that seemed to open the door into the next area. Except that the switch was guarded on all sides by some sort of Precursor weapons.

"Great." Daxter, who had crawled out of Jak's holster immediately after crossing the door's threshold. "What now?"

"Time to get invisible." Jak said. There was a Dark Idol on the other side of the room. "Wait here, Dax." Jak said. Daxter got off the shoulder guard.

The elf moved around the room, keeping as close to the wall as humanly possible. Thankfully, the machines could not sense his presence. He reached the Idol and touched it, disappearing again.

He moved into the center and stepped on the switch which activated a small door that Jak hadn't seen. See, there was another larger door that Jak had expected to be the way out. What also made it conspicuous was the fact that it had a large carving on its face that made it look like Mar's Seal. Jak tried to remember where his seal was… Oh yeah… back in Haven City along with everything else he owned.

He moved back over to Daxter. "Dax, it's me." He gave a quick warning before picking up the Ottsel. He moved around the edge of the room for the open doorway. Then, he went through the hallway and into the next room. The room was huge and in the center… it was a huge Oracle. The stories were right, it could only be the most powerful Oracle in the world.

Suddenly a familiar and highly unwelcome voice sounded through the chamber. Jak paused, and thankful that he couldn't be seen due to his invisibility, listened in on the conversation that was taking place. "I want no excuses!" It was Count Veger, the very same rat that had Jak banished in the first place. "You told me this could be done! Now make it so!"

"But we have so little time." It was obviously Seem. "The Day Star approaches! You know what it brings!"

"Unfortunate, yes." Veger said. "I'll deal with that as soon as I have full access to the Catacombs."

"You'll deal…?" Seem began, obviously confused by Veger's statement. "But… only one…"

"Only one may defeat the scourge the Day Star brings in its wake." Veger finished. "I know. I am confident that the Precursors will make the right choice in this matter."

"But…"

"Silence! You just continue your work here, and I'll deal with those idiots in Haven." Veger said. "I promise, you will meet your makers."

They left the chamber. Jak looked at Daxter. "Why are the Catacombs so important?"

"I don't know." Daxter said, walking up onto the platform that ended right before the Oracle. Jak stood in the center of the platform which, strangely, was shaped just like Mar's Seal. The monks obviously held Mar in very high regard. "Hey, lookie here! It's one of those goober-eyed Precursor thingies!" Daxter exclaimed, pointing at the Oracle.

Then, the Oracle 'woke up'. Its presence filed the room. "Greetings, Great Warrior. Your return brings us great hope. But your return may be too late, for fate hangs in the balance on naught but a single thread of hope."

Daxter looked back at Jak. "Did you understand any of that?" He turned back to the Oracle, making weird signs with his hands. "Speaka da normal language, okay?"

The Oracle ignored him. "You must use all the power you can muster to survive this terrible test, Great One."

"I can handle it!" Daxter said instantly, thinking the Oracle was speaking to him.

"I was talking to the tall one, shorty." The Oracle said shortly. Jak blinked, for he had never heard an Oracle insult someone before.

"Hey!" Daxter protested.

"Someone wants to speak with you now." The Oracle said to Jak.

"Who?" Jak asked.

"Greetings." A new voice said. Jak turned around. It was a Precursor, the very same Precursor that Jak released from the Precursor Stone months ago.

"Jak… it's the Precursor…" Daxter whispered, for he recognized him too.

"Please, Great One, it would be an honor for you to call me by my name… Tiatin." The Precursor said.

"Tiatin?" Jak asked, confused. It was a name that meant 'Dark Fate' in the old Precursor language.

"Yes." Tiatin said simply, like he didn't really want to talk about it, as if he were ashamed of his name. "You are an extremely powerful individual, but your current abilities will not be enough to see you through the upcoming challenges. And, what is worse, your Darkness will be unable to save you by itself." The Precursor approached Jak. "With your permission, Great One, I will unlock an ability that has been lost to you since the terrible tragedy three years ago."

"Three years?" Jak asked. "I was thrown into prison three years ago."

"Exactly, and in doing so, Haven took away the one thing that could save them in the end of all things." Tiatin said. "It was the worst blow to your chances of survival possible. They took away your pity, your mercy, and your humanity. They took away the child-like innocence that could have saved them. They took away your conscience. They took away the light that bound you closely to my race. But… the Pure Light is not dead… he merely sleeps as I did in my egg. But he, like me, can be re-awoken."

Most of this speech was lost on Jak, especially how the Precursor mentioned a bound that he shared with the Precursors. "What are you talking about?" He asked.

"With your permission." Tiatin repeated, ignoring Jak's question. The Precursor held his glowing hand a few inches from Jak's forehead.

Jak, aware that he wasn't going to get any answers out of the Precursors yet, could do nothing else except to agree to receive whatever the Precursor was giving him. "Okay, you have my permission."

The Precursor touched Jak's forehead. At first, the elf's eyes were closed, and then they opened wide with shock. The Dark Eco in his body was being forced back and it was being replaced by a feeling that he had not felt in a long time, one that was almost forgotten in the pain of his life. He actually felt content with his life, something that was alien to him. The Precursor removed his hand and Jak backed away from him.

"What is it?" Daxter asked, worried.

"Dax! The Dark Eco!" Jak stared at his hands. "The Dark Eco feels… far away…" He looked at his friend and grinned broadly. "I feel better!"

Tiatin interrupted. "You do not yet realize what has happened, have you?" Jak looked confused. "Please remove the armor for one of your arms."

Jak looked even more confused, but he started to unstrap the bracer from his left arm.

"I am terribly sorry, Great One." Tiatin said. "Do not fight me."

Suddenly, Jak felt his mind being pushed off to a side of his own head. It was very much like when Dark forced his way to the surface, except the new mind was vastly more powerful than either Jak's or Dark's minds. Jak felt, at a distance, Dark Eco becoming active in his body, but the only thing that seemed to chance was his right hand. It paled and land claws grew from his fingernails.

Then, completely against his will, for the Precursor was controlling his actions, his clawed hand rested on his left arm. Then the claws began to cut into his own skin.

Jak panicked. He had seen those claws sliced through armor easily. Cutting off his arm would be no problem. The claws dug deeper and blood began to flow.

"Jak!" Daxter cried. All he could see was Jak trying to cut off his own arm. "What the hell are you doing?"

Jak felt the claws scrap bone, but thankfully, they didn't go deeper than that. Then he felt his mind and body being returned to him, and the pain of the wound hit him full force. He let out a cry of pain and anger and held a hand against the terrible wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding. "Fuck!" He swore loudly. "What the hell have you done to me?"

"It is necessary." Tiatin said. "Now, concentrate on the space between yourself and the Darkness."

Jak was almost too angry to listen to the Precursor, but he did as the Precursor told him. He concentrated on the place between himself and the Darkness and, suddenly, a bright light flashed in his mind. Jak looked down at himself in shock as the light seemed to spread across his body. He watched as the light spread across his skin until his body seemed to glow all on its own. The most wonderful feeling filled him, one that he remembered as if from a long forgotten dream. It was a feeling he never thought he'd feel again. It was the feeling that only channeling Light Eco could give you, every good feeling in the world wrapped up in one Eco.

"Oh my God…" Jak gasped, looking at his glowing hand.

"Oh my God!" Daxter repeated.

"Now, concentrate on healing the wound." Tiatin said.

Jak did so. He gazed at the wound. As his body had changed, so had his blood, it now had turned a brilliant white. The wound began to glow with its own light and it began to heal itself. But, unlike the old Dark Eco healings, this was not painful at all!

Daxter watched in amazement as something he say happen only once before happened before his very eyes. His best friend was using Light Eco again! There were differences from the last time Jak used it when he was seventeen. Instead of keeping his blue eyes, his eyes were now completely white, and not regular white, but brilliant glowing white. Daxter watched as Jak healed himself. "Jak! You've got your healing powers back!"

"And it's better than ever!" Jak said. "It doesn't hurt anymore!"

"Exactly." Tiatin said happily, as if Jak's happiness was his whole world.

"How is this possible? I haven't channeled Light Eco since before Haven!" Jak said.

"The power simply lay dormant inside you, but it was still there." Tiatin said. "I simply woke it up."

_'What's happening?'_ Someone in Jak's mind asked, and it wasn't Dark. _'Where am I?'_

Dark perked. **'What's going on?'**

"Tiatin, what's going on here?" Jak said. "There's someone else inside my head!"

"It is your conscience." Tiatin said. "Just as your demon has its own persona, so does your Light Side."

_'Light side? What's that? I don't understand.'_

**'That's you, idiot.'** Dark hissed.

_'Who are you?'_

**'Your worst nightmare.'**

_Dark!_ Jak hissed in his head at Dark.

**'What?'** Dark asked in his worst 'I'm-innocent' voice.

Jak turned his attention to his new Light Side. _Uh… listen here, Light…_

_'Light? Is that my name?'_

_Uh… I guess._ Jak thought at Light. _Listen…_

Tiatin interrupted. "Maybe I had better explain." Everything went silent as Tiatin began to speak to the newborn Eco being, explaining its existence to it. It was something that even Jak didn't really understand. Finally, Tiatin stopped. "You will find your Light Side will be far more docile than your Dark Side… he is also less aggressive and far more curious about things in general. He will be something of your conscience."

"What?" Jak demanded.

"No way! Jak has a conscience now?" Daxter asked. "I guess it will be harder for him to kill people now!"

"No it won't." Jak said stubbornly. "I'll only feel slightly guilty."

"One last thing." The Precursor said. "Do you have a Dark and Light Eco Crystal, at least one of each?"

Jak nodded. "Yes."

"Those Crystals will be very useful to a being of your abilities." Tiatin said. "The crystals can be used to increase your powers hundreds of times for your Eco forms, respectively."

"Hundreds of times?" Daxter asked. "So what are we talkin' about here?"

"If you use this for your Dark Eco Side, you will effectively become a true 'Army-of-One'." Tiatin said. "But, be warned, it is not wise to use this increase in power over and over. The strain on your body is too much for anyone, no matter how powerful to handle; the same goes if you hold the power too long. The powers will end up backfiring, in effect destroying yourself. Use these powers only in extreme emergencies.

"What about my new Light powers… healing… is that it?" Jak asked.

"No, not at all." Tiatin said. "As you travel to your final destination, I will unlock them as you become mentally, physically, and spiritually ready for them."

"And what is this Final Destination?" Jak asked, but he had a feeling he already knew then answer.

"The final war… The War of the Champions." Tiatin said.

"The War of the Champions? What is that? I've heard it before in the old legends somewhere…" Jak began.

"The ancient legends of your kind?" Tiatin scoffed. "They only can tell you what happens, not what the ancient war actually is." The Precursor paused. "Those legends only say that two Champions will be chosen by each side, one of the Precursors, and one of our enemies. Those two Champions will fight to the death and the living Champion will be the victor." Tiatin laughed. "All that information can be deduced from the title alone."

"So… what is this war… really?" Jak asked. "And what's my part in it?"

"I will tell you one day when you are ready for the information what the war is." Tiatin said. "As to your part in it… is it not obvious?"

"Am I a Champion?" Jak asked.

"Do not worry, you shall know when you are ready to know." Tiatin said.

"More secrets?" Jak sighed. "This is why I'm tired of saving the world."

"Do you not want to save your world anymore?" Tiatin asked.

"Are you going to try and stop me?" Jak asked.

"No." Tiatin said simply, catching Jak off guard. "It would be foolish to try. Only you can decide whether to fight or not, and I would not try to force you into a fight that you do not wish to fight. That would be counter-productive. Go back to Spargus and think it over. I am sure that, whatever you decide will be the right choice."

"You're actually giving me a choice?" Jak asked, surprised. "No, that's not how that works. It's either do it or go to hell."

"Maybe for your race." Tiatin said. "But we Precursors understand the power of freewill. I will not force you to fight our battles. But, we both know that you will eventually."

"So, if you know that I'm going to fight anyway, how can I make a choice?" Jak asked.

"Because you are going to do the right thing." Tiatin said simply. This Precursor was really giving Jak the creeps. "That is what makes a hero a hero. It is not strength or speed or skill, but your heart."

Jak shook his head. "I'm not buying this." He said.

"Do not decide now, by all means." Tiatin said. "Think it over, wait until you know the full magnitude of your decision. At least wait until you know how many will people will be affected by your choice." Tiatin waved his hand through the air and Jak suddenly found himself back in Spargus in his own room.

He blinked in confusion. Then he realized that Tiatin must've teleported him back to Spargus. "Think about it, hero." Tiatin's disembodied voice said before fading away.

"Whoa… creepy." Daxter said.

_'I think you should do it.'_ Light's voice said inside Jak's head.

"Don't start!" Jak said out loud.

"What?" Daxter asked, thinking that Jak was speaking to him.

**'As much as I hate this…'** Dark growled angrily. **'I agree with pussy-boy.'**

"Stop! You just want a fight!" Jak yelled.

"Uh… is this a private conversation?" Daxter asked.

"Yes!" Jak growled. "Never mind!" He hissed as he fell to the bed.

"Jak?" Daxter began cautiously. "What do you want out of life?" He asked. "It might be easier to make a decision if you know what you want."

Jak didn't answer for several seconds. Finally, he spoke. "I want a life of my own, not one that is sorely dedicated to others. I want… peace."


	17. Rescue Operation

"Jak?" Daxter walked through the small flat, looking for his friend, who could be really quiet when he wanted to. "Jakkie-Boy?" Finally, he found Jak sitting at a window, looking out across the vast desert, into the distance, in his own little world. "Yo! Earth to Jak!"

Jak looked away from the window in surprise. "Oh, Dax… I… I didn't hear you."

"Very unusual for a person who is known for hearing voices and stuff." Daxter said.

"You know what I mean." Jak said, then he looked back out the window. "I'm thinking…"

"About the upcoming challenge?" Daxter asked.

"Surprisingly… no." Jak said, still looking into the distance, as if he were a hundred miles away.

Daxter noted the direction that Jak was looking again. Daxter smiled. "Perhaps the silent hero is thinking of a certain green-haired, green eyed mechanic?"

"What makes you think that?" Jak asked a little too quickly.

"Well, number one, we haven't seen her in months. Number two, you still seem to love her. Number three, your face always goes all blank when you think of her. And, last but not least, you are staring in the direction of Haven City." Daxter said. "Don't make me give more reasons, cause I've got more."

Jak sighed. "Whenever it gets quiet, my mind wanders back to her. I miss her, Dax."

"Hey, so do I… though not in the way you do… I guess." Daxter said. Jak glared at his furry little friend. "Hey! I know she's your girl! I may be good with the ladies, but I know who's off-limits! You know that Keira and I are only friends!"

"It's been so long since I last saw her." Jak said. "And I'm not even sure if she thinks that I'm innocent or not. Did you… did you see the way she looked at me?"

"I sure did." Daxter said. "But, so what, I've seen how she usually looks at you. And I tell you what, it defiantly isn't an evil look." Daxter paused. "She loves you, everyone who knows you two know it, and you love her just as obviously. I think it's going to take more than a few trumped-up charges to make Keira loose her faith in you. Hell, she stood by your side when you got Eco Poisoning! She trusts you enough to allow Dark Jak to carry her safely across Dark Eco. She loves you!" Jak didn't say anything. "So, are you in the same position as before the capture?"

"What?" Jak asked.

"Do you still lust for her?" Daxter asked. Jak remained silent. "I'll take that as a 'yes'. Maybe Keira's one girl who's all 'I want to wait for marriage'."

"You're point?"

"Maybe you should, you know, marry her." Daxter said.

"What?" Jak asked, looking up.

"You heard me, marry her." Daxter repeated.

"I… I…" Jak stuttered. "I can't marry her! We're too young!"

"Au contraire!" Daxter said. "You only need to be eighteen to get married, and even before then, you can get married with a guardian's permission. You are twenty, and she is nineteen. You are both old enough!"

"I'm not talking about legally." Jak said. "Since when have I cared about what's legal or not? I'm talking about emotionally."

"You are the most mature twenty-year old I know." Daxter said. "A side effect of prison, I guess."

"Okay, let's just say for the sake of argument that I want to marry Keira. Where would we live? Her whole life is in Haven, the one place on the planet that is closed to me."

"That is a pickle." Daxter mused. "But love is notorious for conquering even the greatest obstacles."

Jak stared out the window again. "Everything was fine when we were just dating, but me… becoming her husband? That would make me fully responsible for her well-being. I… I have nothing to offer her as a husband."

"You have your love." Daxter pointed out.

"You need more than love."

"All you need is love."

"You need money too. Love doesn't put food on the table."

"You could just claim your title."

"What title?"

"Prince of Haven City! That outta give you some money… a helluva lot of it." Daxter said.

"Prince is just one step away from King." Jak said. "I don't want that, and I don't need that. Haven would never except it anyway, I'm a murderer, remember?" Jak paused, and then stared at Daxter. "Since when were you so keen on Keira and I getting married? I thought you disapproved of our relationship?"

"I did, but I've been thinking." Daxter said. "Well, I've sort of known for years, ever since we were teenagers growing up in Sandover together, that you two would have one of those story-book romances. But… I didn't think it was a good idea because you two were practically brother and sister. I didn't think it would be wise to complicate such a beautiful relationship. But… during the six months or so when you were dating, I couldn't help but think… that you two are meant for each other, like the old Precursor lovers!"

Jak didn't say anything for several minutes while he was deep in thought. _Could I marry Keira? Should I marry Keira? What if I broke back into Haven, killed any guards in my way, found Keira, and proposed to her? What if she said no? What if she said yes? Our lives would be so different from that moment onwards. Oh God… what if she wants children?_ Jak shook his head to get rid of the nagging thoughts, but one remained lodged in his head. _What would Samos think?_ Jak knew that Samos thought of him as the son he never had, and Samos had been the replacement of a father to Jak. How would he feel if his sort-of son became his son-in-law? Would he approve? He never said whether he approved of them going out, how would he react to marriage? He probably wouldn't be ready to give away his 'little girl'. "Just one thing at a time." Jak said to himself.

"That's right!" Daxter said. "Step one: Storm Haven City in a heroic fashion! Step two: Find Keira! Step three: Propose to the girl!"

"Not that!" Jak hissed. "If and when I do ask her to marry me, it will be when we are both ready."

"Girl trouble, eh?" A horribly familiar voice said and the door. Jak looked up in horror and saw Kleiver standing in the doorway.

Jak felt his face redden. To hide his embarrassment, he stood up angrily, trying to pass off the redness as rage. "This is a private conversation, Kleiver!" Jak hissed in his most dangerous voice.

"Ah, like I care about your problems." Kleiver said. "We've got big trouble. Can you put your womanly issues aside until afterwards?"

"Just tell me what I need to do?" Jak asked, all business.

"Fine, the scopes have shown a large Sandstorm is headed our way. And this one isn't one of those 'move a little sand around' sandstorms. This one's a big whooper. Damas wants you to drive out into the Wasteland…"

"In a sandstorm? That's suicide!" Jak said.

"Maybe, but your life is not as important as the four Wastelanders that are lost in the Wasteland." Kleiver said. "You are to drive out into the Wasteland, find the stranded Wastelanders, and do whatever it takes to bring them back alive. And, if you should find one dead, bring back the body so we can give the warrior a proper funeral. And Damas also says that failure is not an option."

"What about the storm?" Jak asked.

"What about it?" Kleiver asked. "Once our Wastelanders are safe, then you have permission to worry about your own safety."

"Great, so I'm basically worthless." Jak hissed.

"Pretty much… until you get your final War Amulet." A pause. "What are you waiting for? You only have the better part of a half-an-hour before the storm hits."

"Dax!" Jak hissed. The Ottsel jumped onto Jak's shoulder. And then, without another word, Jak rushed out the door.

* * *

A few minutes later and Jak drove full speed out of Spargus. A large and heavily armored transport lumbered slowly behind. The elf left the transport far behind, which was part of the plan. The transport, the only vehicle Spargus had that could withstand the sands of a sandstorm, would never be able to reach the Wastelanders in time. It was Jak's job to drive ahead in the faster Sand Shark to pick up the Wastelanders and rush them back to the transport.

Jak glanced down at the radar, there were four signals flashing of the screen and Jak moved for the closest one, about a mile away from his current position.

The Wastelander came into view, but he was not alone, he was being attacked by about a dozen or more Marauders. The Wastelander was no rookie when it came to fighting, but he was being surrounded and slowly over-powered by the armored nomads.

"Help me!" He called when he saw the Sand Shark.

Jak jumped out of the vehicle, materialized a long sword, and rushed into the fray, swinging the weapon with enough power to slice through the toughest Metal-Head armor. The Marauder armor didn't stand a chance. It was over within seconds and the desert sand was heavily stained with Marauder blood. The few that had survived Jak's onslaught were running for the hills. Jak let them go, he didn't have time to go hunting Marauders across the desert.

Jak ran up to the Wastelander. "Are you all right?" He asked quickly.

"One of the damn bastards got me good." The Wastelander now sported a deep gash in his arm. It looked nasty, but with medical attention, Jak thought it should heal fine. "But it could've been worse if you hadn't shown up."

"You can thank me later." Jak said. "You need to have that looked at, and the sooner we get out of here, the better." The Wastelander nodded in agreement. The elf jumped into the Sand Shark and the Wastelander hopped into the passenger seat, wrapping some stray bit of cloth around his wound. And then Jak tore off towards the transport.

Once they found the transport, the back door opened. The Wastelander jumped out. "I owe you one." He said before he went into the safety of the transport.

Jak then drove back into the desert for the next closest Wastelander.

* * *

Jak dropped off the third Wastelander off at the transport. "Thanks, man, I'll put in a good word with Damas." He jumped into the back of the transport.

The elf quickly jumped the vehicle around and drove off into the desert, trying to ignore the distant sandstorm that he could now see forming on the distant horizon.

After several minutes, Jak came up to where the last beacon was. He got out and looked around the area. Then he saw it, a prone form lying in the sand. Jak walked over and looked down. It was the final Wastelander. He lay still on the desert sand, his staring eyes pointed at the sky. But they were cloudy and saw nothing.

Jak knelt down and felt for the man's pulse. After a few seconds of not feeling anything, he withdrew his hand, shaking his head. "He's dead." He said simply.

"What killed him?" Daxter asked.

"Whatever's in his hands." Jak looked down at the dead Wastelander's fist, which was tightly closed around something. He began to pry the man's fist open, which, even in death, had a death grip on the whatever it was. Finally, Jak managed to extract it. "No wonder." Jak was holding a Dark Eco Crystal that he had removed from the man. "The poor bastard probably never knew what hit him." He quickly pocketed the crystal.

"Well, Damas ordered us to bring the bodies back to Spargus." Daxter pointed out.

Without another word, and using his superhuman strength, Jak picked up the Wastelander and began to move him towards the Sand Shark. He put him in as reverently as he could. "Well, let's get out of here." He said, looking off in the distance. The monster sandstorm was only ten minutes away, by the look of it.

Suddenly, all of his danger alarms went off. He spun around and gasped. He recognized what it was instantly, a Dark Satellite. It rose out of the sand, and seemed to glare menacingly even though it had no eyes that Jak could see.

The satellite hovered in the air and a long tentacle extended from the body. With a speed that seemed impossible, the tentacle shot out and wrapped itself tightly around Jak's body. Before he couldn't even think of reacting, he was bound tightly. The Satellite began to pump Dark Eco straight into Jak's body via the tentacle. At first, Jak was confused. Then he realized that the Satellite didn't know that he was immune to Dark Eco.

The machine seemed to realize that the Dark Eco was having no effect on its prey. So it went straight for the more direct attack of hurling Jak straight into the nearest rock. He hit the rock, hard, and fell to the ground with a small growl. There was a rattling sound and a large weapon was exposed from the thing's body. Jak barely had time to get out of the way before a hail of bullets hit the ground that he occupied seconds before.

Jak concentrated on a broadsword and the weapon instantly materialized in his fist. He leapt at the Satellite, landed on the top and stabbed it. And, even though it was a machine, it screamed in pain, a loud screeching noise, like a giant piece of chalk being scrapped across a giant chalkboard. Jak stabbed at it again. Suddenly, there was a flash of purple light and the Satellite disappeared from underneath him.

Now, with nothing to stand on, Jak fell back to the ground. Thankfully, it wasn't a far fall and Jak landed safely. "It teleported!" He hissed. "It know I had him and it ran away!"

"Uh… Jak?" Daxter said uncertainly.

"What?"

"Uh… maybe we should be running away too."

Jak looked up and gasped. The sandstorm was still heading right at him, and it looked larger than ever… closer then ever. "Shit!" He swore. He had forgotten about the sandstorm! He had wasted a lot of time trying to kill the Satellite and now his life was in danger again.

He ran for the Sand Shark and jumped into the driver's seat. He floored the accelerator and speed off towards Spargus, praying to any Gods who were listening that he made it to Spargus on time.

* * *

Thankfully, Jak discovered that the larger the storm, the slower it moved. He made it into the Spargain gate with a few minutes to spare.

Kleiver walked up, staring at the dead passenger. "Cid!" He obviously knew the man. "What happened to him?"

"I found him dead." Jak said, pulling out the Dark Eco Crystal and showed it to Kleiver. "I found this with him."

Kleiver stared at it, as if trying to detect a fake. Finally, he sighed. "Cause of death, Dark Eco overdose. We'd better get him in. Damas has commanded that everyone receives a proper Precursor burial."

Jak moved to get the body out of the Sand Shark, but Kleiver got there first. "Tell you what, you go to the control room. Tell them to get a hold of Seem. She has a funeral to perform."

Jak nodded and walked off to carry out his orders. As much as he hated it, Kleiver did rank higher than him and he also happened to be one of Damas' councilors. So, in a way, Kleiver was his boss, as Torn and Krew had been his bosses. But, just because he did what they told him to do, they never had Jak's true loyalties. Since prison, Jak's true loyalties had always been for Number One and anyone he might personally care for, people he would protect with his life… like Keira, Daxter, and Samos.

It is interesting to note that if Jak had a weakness, it would probably be the face that he cared, really cared, for his friends more than anything in the world. But, if someone ever exploited that… well… that's another story all together.

* * *

That night, Jak sat on the roof of the flat, listening to the haunting Song of the Dying as it echoed through the City.

His mind drifted back… back to his two dreadful years that he had spent in that hellhole they called a prison. He could bet that no one sung the Song of the Dying for the poor souls who had died in there. Out of thousands who were tested for Eco Powers, and out of the fifteen that were put into the Dark Warrior Program, only Jak had survived.

Jak didn't think it was fair sometimes. He had been the youngest of the group, and several of the guards had labeled him 'Most Likely To Die'. Why had he been allowed to live when so many others had died? Fourteen Channelers in all met their deaths in those walls, a huge dent in the ranks of Channelers since there are only about a hundred or so Channelers in Haven City, the loss of even a few is devastating.

Jak remembered Sorus especially. The one person who had protected him all throughout his time in prison, the one who made it seem like everything was going to be all right. Jak had killed him with his bare hands, ripping out his insides until there was no chance of survival. He could still see the scene… all the blood… in his mind. Guilt flooded him.

What he did to Sorus was wrong, and he knew it. But Jak could not help but wonder… what if Sorus had survived too? What if instead of one Dark Eco Freak, there were two? Well, for one, Vegar probably would've been scared to death of their power, and never would have banished them. On the other hand, their Dark Side's dominance instincts would have probably set them on a warpath eventually. One or the other would end up destroying the other.

Jak honestly did not know how that fight would turn out if they matched up again. The Dark Eco in his blood gave him a huge advantage over other elves, but Sorus was an Eco Freak too, and he was an assassin, a death-dealer far more experienced in killing people than Jak. The elf knew it was simple dumb luck that allowed him to take down Sorus in prison.

The song ended with a few eerie notes:

"Svql qoa Naiq…"


	18. Trouble In Haven City

Jak was walking down the beach when he came across Kleiver standing at the base of a huge gun.

Kleiver smiled evilly. "Oh-oh, here come the insults!" Daxter said.

"Ain't it time for your ankle-biter's naps?" Kleiver laughed.

"Oh, you're a riot!" Daxter said sarcastically.

"What's with the gun?" Jak asked.

"That gun?" Kleiver asked, pointing at the cannon-like gun. Jak nodded. "That gun turret used to be the only thing that protected us from the Wasteland beast and Marauders, this was before the walls were built. I was the top gunner back then, and no one has been able to top my score in the four years we've been here. Hey… you wanna try and beat me score?"

Jak was about to answer when Daxter interrupted. "Oh, don't worry. Jak 'beats' things all the time!" Daxter said, drawing quotation marks in the air around the word 'beats', which changed the meaning of the sentence entirely. What it now meant was that Jak… pleasures himself all the time. Jak glared down at Daxter angrily. "Eh, Jak?" Daxter laughed, elbowing Jak's leg and laughing evilly.

Jak hit the back of the Ottsel's head to get him to shut up. Daxter glared at the elf. "I don't 'beat' things, okay!" Jak hissed. "The only things I beat are gunning records, racers, and monsters intent on killing me!"

"Fine!" Daxter said hurriedly. "I just thought since…"

"Dax!"

"Okay, take a pill, all right?"

* * *

Long, boring story short, Jak beat the score with little effort. He jumped out of the turret's cockpit and walked up to Kleiver, grinning cockily.

"So…" Kleiver began. "You nippers beat me score…"

"Yeah, what a surprise." Daxter said sarcastically.

Kleiver sighed. "The Law of the Land says that the Top Gunner is to hold a special trophy in honor of their skills." He pulled out a Light Crystal out of his pocket and tossed it to Jak. "That crystal's yours now, but I'll be getting it back soon enough."

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" Daxter asked. "Would it be too much to ask for a foot-rub?" Kleiver growled loudly. "Nope, didn't think so."

"By the way, your last arena fight is this afternoon." Kleiver said. "Get yourself ready by then."

"Don't worry about me." Jak said, even though he was well aware that Kleiver didn't give a damn whether he lived or died in this next fight. "I was born ready."

"I was born naked and crying." Daxter quipped.

Jak rolled his eyes and headed back to his flat.

Once there, the duo was free to argue about Daxter's comment. "How dare you say that about me? In public of all places!"

"What? It's nothing to be embarrassed about. Everyone does it!" Daxter defended himself.

"Not everyone!" Jak growled, and then he sighed, massaging his temples as if it was taking all his will power not to go Dark and eat Daxter at that moment. "Just because I happen to lust for Keira, and I can't have her, doesn't mean I'm desperate!"

"Really? You could have fooled me."

Jak sighed in annoyance and walked away with the thought of getting a few hours of sleep without Daxter's annoying chatter before his last arena fight.

* * *

(Haven City)

Ashelin sat in the new Freedom League Headquarters, rubbing her temples to get rid of her throbbing headache. Since Jak had been banished a few months ago, things had really gone down the crapper. Vegar usually didn't make mistakes, but banishing Jak was the worst possible mistake that he could have in the present troubles. Having Jak, and indeed the power he had at his fist on their side would tip the scales in their favor.

Torn walked in and paused when he saw Ashelin's distressed state. "If it's not good news…" Ashelin began. "Please don't tell me."

"I'm sorry." Torn said, now feeling really terrible at having to be the bearer of bad news. "But we've lost the Farming District. It is under complete Metal-Head Control."

Ashelin shook her head hopelessly. "The Farming District? They supplied over seventy-five percent of our produce! This can't be happening…"

"Things are going downhill really fast." Torn said.

"What will the Metal-Head's next move be?" Ashelin asked, for Torn had more training in battle-tactics than she did.

"They are going to try and take the Port next." He said after a slight pause. "Not only will that bring them one step closer to our HQ, but it will give them access to the Underport, allowing them to bring in reinforcements."

"We can't allow that to happen." Ashelin said. "We can't afford to lose the Port."

"I agree." A new voice said. Torn and Ashelin looked around. Veger walked into the room with his usual arrogant air.

Ashelin frowned. "This is a private council, Veger." She said.

"Of course. But I agree with you. The Port should not, and can not, fall. But I am concerned with the number of troops we have currently stationed in the Port area. I think we should… double their ranks."

"Double?" Torn demanded. "But that will leave us with very little protection!"

"You don't have the authority to decide how we divide our forces." Ashelin hissed. "That power still rests with me, Count."

"Oh? I have a document here that says otherwise." Veger pulled out a piece of paper and began to read with a flourish. "We, the undersigned, due to the current time of civil unrest have agreed the Count Vegar should take over such aspects as civil affairs, military decisions, and political aspects of this great City of Haven." Veger handed Ashelin the paper. "You'll find all fifty signatures there."

Ashelin looked down the list. "How many of these men and women did you have to blackmail into signing this?" She asked.

"Oh, come now, Governess I don't blackmail. Besides, you know this document is legal and binding." Veger said.

Ashelin sighed. "Yes, it is."

"Good, then you realize that my opinions do, in fact, matter." Veger said. "I want a task force sent into the Port area to reinforce our brave comrades holding the Port. Commander Torn, you should lead the assault."

"What?" Both Ashelin and Torn demanded.

"Commander Torn has enough battle-field experience to lead such an assault." Veger said.

"Torn is needed here." Ashelin said.

"Commander Torn is a warrior, is he not?" Veger asked. "Don't warriors belong on the battle-field?"

"Not necessarily." Ashelin said. "You need warriors 'behind the scenes' too, directing things. Or else tough decisions are made by weasels like you while good men are killed needlessly."

"Now, now, I am only doing my job." Veger said.

"At the expense of others." Ashelin pointed out. "You're the one who threw our Ace-In-The-Hole out into the Wasteland!"

"Ace-In-The-Hole?" Veger scoffed. "Surely you're not talking about the Dark Eco Freak?"

"That so-called 'Freak' happens to be our best chance of winning this war!" Ashelin said.

"We can win this war WITHOUT resorting to black magic." Veger said. "That Freak is a danger to us all! Even you cannot deny that, Governess."

"We've never said that Jak wasn't dangerous." Torn said. "Of course, he's dangerous! He's dangerous to his enemies. If we had Jak on our side, we could just let him loose in the City and we'd be Metal-Head free within a month!"

"And now, thanks to your actions, Jak might just consider us his enemies!" Ashelin yelled. "You might as well sign your own death warrant. If I know Jak at all, he'll never rest until you've been punished in the most brutal way possible."

"Threats won't work on me, Governess." Veger said. "Besides, that Freak has been in the Wasteland for months. You don't actually think he's alive? No one can survive out there for long. I give it an hour, tops, before he collapsed. He's probably burning in the fires of hell right now… and good riddens!"

Suddenly, something hit Veger, hard, right in the side of his head. Veger staggered at the attack, and then he saw who had attacked him. It was Keira, her hand still curled into a fist after she had punched Veger. It seemed that she had picked up a few tricks from Jak. Ashelin and Torn stared, they hadn't even noticed the she-elf coming in.  
"You!" Veger hissed, recognizing her. "The Freak's girl…"

"STOP CALLING HIM A FREAK!" Keira yelled. "You prejudice son of a bitch!" Torn and Ashelin stared even more. They had never heard the young mechanic swear before. Possibly more things she had learned from Jak. "You don't know Jak! You'll never know Jak! All of you!" She rounded on Torn and Ashelin. "You think you know him! 'He's a monster! He's dangerous! He's a Freak!' You don't know him… none of you know the real Jak! He's NOT dangerous! He's NOT the villain, or even the hero…" Keira paused. The extreme emotion that she was feeling, anger and sadness, caused tears to run down her face. "He's the victim."

No body spoke for fear of bringing the young she-elf's fury down on them. Finally, she let out a sob and stormed out of the room.

Veger was the first to recover from Keira's out burst. "The victim, indeed." He scoffed. "That man murdered hundreds… maybe thousands of people, and she says that he's the victim? Her blind attraction to that Freak has blinded her to what he really is… a murderous Dark Eco Demon that would kill you as soon as look at you."

"No…" Ashelin said. "She knows him better than any of us. None of us knows what happened to him inside those prison walls. None of us knew him before he stepped onto the scene."

"Don't start that 'Oh, he's just the victim' stuff!" Veger growled. "I'll tell you who the real victims are: the people he killed! Why should he be allowed back into the City… if he's still alive?"

"Because… we need him." Ashelin said.

"We don't need the help of an Eco Freak if you do what I tell you to do." Veger said, turning to Torn. "Commander, you will lead a large battalion of troops to join our comrades in the Port."

Torn looked at Ashelin for instructions. Ashelin nodded. "Yessir." Torn said to Veger before he turned and walked out.

* * *

Keira ran into her new quarters that she had been forced to live in since the Metal-Heads had attacked the Palace. She flopped down on the bed and began to sob loudly.

Samos, who was walking by Keira's open door, heard his daughter's crying and came into the room, shutting the door behind him so that no one else could hear what would be discussed through the soundproof walls and doors. "Keira, what's wrong?" He asked, concerned.

"It's just… everyone!" Keira cried. "They all judge Jak before they even know him!"

Samos sighed; he knew exactly what Keira was so upset about. "Well, you can't blame them." He said. "The only Jak they know is the one he shows them, an angry man without a soul. But… you and I… we know better than that… we know that the boy he was is still in that shell somewhere." Samos laughed, a kind of 'I'm pretending to be happy' sound. "You know, when he was with you, I swear to the Precursors that I could almost see the young boy that I helped raise back in Sandover."

"I know…" Keira said. "I saw it too."

"His soul…" Samos shuttered as the memory of the first time he had met the new Jak in the Fortress returned to him. "His soul was damaged horribly in prison. When I first saw him, I couldn't see anything of that little boy anymore. I…" He paused, as though afraid to say what he really thought. "I gave up hope on his recovery. I believed that his soul was too damaged to ever be pieced back together, damaged beyond repair. The Precursor did more than cure his Eco Poisoning that day in the nest… it pieced Jak's broken soul back together. Certainly, he's not going to turn back into the boy he was, but he's not a broken man anymore."

Keira's mind also drifted back to the first time she met Jak after they arrived in Haven City. His physical changes didn't put her off nearly as much as the changes to his eyes. Eyes that she had loved in Sandover were dark, empty, and hollow. The sight of those haunted eyes scared her, for she thought that the boy she loved was dead, replaced by a man who could only feel one emotion… hate. But… after the Precursor healed Jak, every once in a while, she'd see a younger Jak looking out through those eyes, eyes that now had hope of a better life, one that was not merely to serve others and eventually give his life for other people. "I know that he's not broken anymore. He's whole again." Keira said. She looked at her father. "Do you think he's going to come back to Haven City?"

"I don't know." Samos said. "But I think so… I think so…"

* * *

"Sir, why are we doing this?" A young Captain asked Torn as the Commander piloted a new Freedom League cruiser through the Industrial section.

"Because… we have to." Torn answered. "Veger has taken control of the City."

"That weasel?" The captain asked, shocked. "Commander, you could have overpowered him alone!"

"Definitely." Torn said. "Do you know Keira Hagai?" The Captain nodded. All the guards knew Keira Hagai as she was currently one of the few people who had top-level security status, she was the most heavily guarded civilian in Haven City. "She could have beaten the crap out of Veger. You know, she socked him right in the side of his head." Torn couldn't help but laugh.

"She did?" The Captain demanded.

"But, it would do no good if we fought against Veger. That would only cause in-fighting and that's the last thing we need right now."

The Captain sighed. "You're right, sir. There are guards loyal to you and the Governess, and there are those loyal to the Council… or its leader."

"Exactly. We have two common enemies right now, and that's the only thing that's keeping us united. If we start fighting each other… our entire defense will fall apart. Maybe if Jak were here, we could attempt it. He could keep things from exploding."

"Is he really that powerful?" The Captain asked. "I've heard the stories…"

"And they are true." Torn said. "He can kill dozens with a single blow, he can fight Metal-Heads without getting a scratch, and he did kill the Metal-Head Leader single-handedly even though he was near death himself. But his greatest weapon is his ability to turn into a demon at will."

"Why did Veger banish such a powerful ally?" The Captain asked. "Politics 101: You don't piss off powerful allies, or they may become powerful enemies."

"If you ask me, Veger always was kind of stupid. Lots of brains, no common sense." Torn said. "But, let's concentrate on the matter at hand: reinforcing the Port's defenses."

"Yessir!" The Captain said as he had been trained to do.

Then they arrived in the Port area and Torn landed. It wasn't a battle, it was a slaughter. Everywhere they looked, there were Elvin guards tearing down Metal-Heads, or visa-versa. The Port, normally stained with pollution, was now stained brown with the hideous mixture of red Elvin blood and green Metal-Head blood.

"Sweet Precursors…" Torn whispered, looking down at a small group of blue-armored elves that were being mowed down by a large Crab-Head. One of the guards managed to raise his weapon and shot the monster in the eye. The monster fell to the ground, died, but a shield wielding Metal-Head Commander took its place and killed the bold guard with a single gunshot to the head. "What are we waiting for? Let's get in there and help them!" Torn yelled. More cruisers landed and several hundred guards jumped out.

With a single great yell, the battalion of Freedom League guards charged the Metal-Head forces that were slowly advancing through the Port.

The Metal-Head ranks took note of the battle cry and turned in surprise just as the first ranks of elves his them. The monsters gave a roar and turned to face this new threat as the remaining guards cheered.

Torn ducked and weaved through the Metal-Heads, shooting them with the pistol that he carried. While the pistol was smaller than the shock rods the Guards carried, it packed a serious punch. The small bullet was infused with the powers of Blue and Red Eco, both extremely rare.

Jak once told him that the Blue and Red Ecos were very common where he came from, but that was in the past. The Blue Eco allowed the bullet to travel many times faster than a normal slug. Some scientists theorized that, in good conditions, the bullet could almost break the speed of light! While the Red Eco gave the slug the power to tear through even the toughest Metal-Head armor. The result of a Metal-Head getting hit with this powerful weapon was a remarkable amount of green goo.

But, the weapon had one downfall. Because of the rarity of the Ecos that powered it, it only had a limited number of shots, and there were thousands of Metal-Heads in the area, Torn could not take care of them all. He doubted that even Jak, or his Dark Side, could handle thousands of Metal-Heads at once by himself. Dozens upon dozens, maybe, but not thousands.

The Metal-Heads had numbers, brutality, and ruthlessness; and they had the advantage of having their base nearby. They had the upper hand right from the get-go.

Torn shot a Crab-Head, which exploded, and found that he had run out of bullets. So he pulled himself off the front-line, moving towards the back. Another one of his trusted Captains, a man who even served Torn loyally in the Underground movement, moved towards him. "Commander, why don't we bring up the tanks?"

"No!" Torn said instantly. "A blast from a tank would hit the Metal-Heads and us at the same time."

Torn looked over the battlefield, elves were falling left and right and everywhere in between. Screams and roars filled the air. "What do we do, sir?" The Captain asked.

After a few seconds, Torn yelled. "Fall back! Fall back to the Industrial area!"

* * *

However, little known to the Freedom League, the Krimzon Bots were working. As soon as the last cruiser had passed into the Port, they set to work. They began to set up three strategically placed force fields. The fields were set up at a speed and were extremely crude. But crude don't mean not effective by any means.

A large Dark Being, which was more mechanical than biological, oversaw the building of the shields, pleased. With the Dark Eco Freak out of the way and hated by most in the City, and the majority of the Freedom troops, plus Torn, trapped in the Port, the City would fall easily. Then, once the most powerful City on the planet was destroyed, he would turn his attention to the Dark Eco Freak. If his Dark Friends were right, he would be the biggest threat to their cause. The mechanical monstrosity grinned. He would kill that Freak, the Dark Beings said it was his destiny to destroy that boy… the stupid little boy who had made his life and death a living hell… the boy he once called 'Number Eleven'.

* * *

The Freedom League ran back into the narrow entrance that led to the industrial section and stopped in horror. A large force field separated them from HQ. And the Krimzon Bots were now hard at work sabotaging their cruisers.

"Shit!" Torn swore. "We're trapped!"

"Trapped? What do you mean trapped?" Someone asked.

"I mean we're completely cut off here!" Torn pulled out his Comm. "Ashelin? Ashelin? Are you there?"

A pause, and then: "I'm reading you. What's your status?"

"It's crap, Ashelin!" Torn said hurriedly. "There's too many of them! We tried to retreat, but there are force fields here! We can't get back to HQ!"

"Shit!" Ashelin swore.

"What do we do?" Torn asked.

"Take cover in a building… perhaps the Ottsel. Then try to reconnect with us as soon as possible! We can not afford to have our forces divided for long…"

Torn sighed angrily. "We really need Jak back in the City! I hate to admit it, but we need him and his… unusual talents."

Ashelin paused, thinking. "Perhaps there's something I can do about that. If the Council votes to reverse Jak's banishment, Veger can't stop us! We could get Jak to come back and help us out!"

"Yeah, if he still wants to help us." Torn said. "Jak's not one who forgets wrongs done that easily."

"I take care of getting Jak back here in Haven City." Ashelin said. "You just stay alive, that's not a request, it's an order. There are few who can get Jak to do their bidding, and you are one of those people." With that, Ashelin hung up.

Torn put away the Comm. and looked over his troops. "Well, you've got your orders! Let's get to the Naughty Ottsel!"

* * *

Later that day, Governess Ashelin surprised everyone by calling an emergency session of the Council.

Veger was not happy about this. He did not like the fact that Ashelin had the power to call a session of Council without his knowledge or approval. "What is the meaning of this?" He demanded, his normal calm and cool demeanor was replaced with a mad and disheveled look. "You do not have this power! Ah! I know what this is! You're rising up against me! This is blasphemy!"

"Blasphemy is a religious term." Ashelin said. "I believe the term you are looking for is 'treachery'. And I do have the power to call a session of Council." She left Veger dumbfounded and stood up on the podium where Veger usually stood. "Grand Council of Haven City." Ashelin began. "We are here to right a wrong that was committed months ago right here in this chamber." The Council members looked uncomfortable. They did not like being told that they did something wrong. "It was the banishment of one Jak, AKA: The Dark One."

"The Freak?" One Councilman asked. "We did nothing wrong, Governess. Look at all the crimes he has committed, look at what he's capable of! He's dangerous and should not be allowed to walk our streets!"

"No one ever said that Jak wasn't dangerous." Ashelin said. "But he has a hatred for Metal-Heads that could be of use to us. The fact of the matter is that we need his special abilities to win this war."

"No, the fact of the matter is that he let the Metal-Heads into the City!" Another councilor said. "We let him back into the City and he'll sell us out even more!"

"The evidence does point to Jak, almost overwhelmingly so. But, has no one ever considered the fact that this whole thing might have been a set up to get Jak killed or thrown out of the City?" Ashelin asked, and silence responded. "He certainly has enough enemies that would have something to gain."

Suddenly, one brave Councilwoman stood up. "I think the Governess is right. It has bothered me for some time. It was too obvious. If I were a traitor, I would do my very best to hide it."

"Exactly. It wouldn't take much. They would only need to catch Jak down there, knock him out, plant some Dark Eco evidence, and all fingers would point straight at him." Ashelin said.

"Okay, hypothetically, let's say that the Freak did not let in the Metal-Heads… What about his past crimes: murder, armed robbery, conspiracy, prison break… the list goes on and on." The Councilman said. "And, what's worse, he showed absolutely no guilt or remorse for his crimes. Can the Governess explain that?"

Ashelin sighed and looked away. "He feels no guilt because he is not capable of feeling guilt anymore. Very few know this, but the man is question was not always a criminal. His name is… well earned. But my father started a project three years ago called the Dark Warrior Program, which would take Channelers and turn them into Dark Eco-wielding warriors. Fifteen went into the project… only one came back out alive. Jak was only seventeen when he was put into the project because of his superior channeling abilities." She paused to let the horror of that statement sink in. Seventeen wasn't even considered 'grown-up.' He was still a child! "Now, I respect Jak's privacy, so I won't describe everything the records say they did to him, but I will say that he was tortured every day with Dark Eco to the point of death. This… would be enough to break even the strongest men. Those that knew Jak immediately after he broke out of prison described him as a… broken man. The Dark Eco treatments for which my father, not Jak, is responsible gave him the powers that he never asked for; broke the man into a cruel joke of his former self. He is unable to feel guilt because it was bleed out of him long ago by the horrors he experienced in prison. Horrors that none of us could've hoped to survive."

"Boo-hoo." Veger said sarcastically. "You can't romanticize what he's done! He's done what he's done, and nothing will ever change that!"

"All those people dying is a terrible thing. But, I'm sure that if Jak was capable of feeling remorse, he would." Ashelin said.

"We can't blame him for what has happened to him." Another Council member spoke up. "You don't blame the experiments, but the one who invented them."

"This is not a machine we're talking about!" Someone else said. "This is a living, sentient being that can think for himself!"

"He was designed to be a biological weapon of mass destruction." Ashelin said. "And that's what he has become. He cannot be blamed for doing what he was created and programmed to do! Crocadogs will bite the hand of a stranger, but we do not banish them!"

"This is no Crocadog!" The Councilman yelled again.

The whole room erupted into a fit of arguing. The room seemed divided about half-and-half. But Ashelin didn't think she could say anymore to help Jak. It was now or never. "Please!" Se yelled over the arguments. "Order!" The room fell silent slowly. "It is now time to vote. All those in favor of reversing Jak's banishment, raise your hand."

Dozens of people did so. Ashelin counted swiftly. Twenty-seven… only two more than half.

The others realized that they were beaten, so one stood up. "We will allow that Freak back into the City under one condition." He said. "That he will come only to fight the Metal-Heads and the Bots. Once these enemies are no longer a threat to us, he must return to the Wasteland where he belongs!"

Several of the freak-haters nodded their approval. Ashelin looked away. She would need the Council's support, most of it, to ensure Jak's safe return to the City. "Very well." She said. "I agree to these terms. As soon as there is no threat to Haven City, his banishment will be re-effected and he'll be transported back out of our walls."

"That is, assuming that he's still alive." Veger said, frowning at the turn of events. Even he couldn't over-rule the Council.

"We have ever reason to believe that he's still alive." Ashelin said. "This meeting is adjourned." She said, and everyone got up.

Veger stormed over to her. "You may have won the Freak this small battle, but I'll win the war! One single slip-up by your freak friend, and they will scream for his re-banishment. One guard killed, and your friend is washed up!" Veger paused, and straightened to his full height. "Good-bye, Governess." With that, Veger walked out of the chamber. Ashelin ignored him and ran off to contact Torn to tell him the good news.


	19. Trouble In The Arena

Since it was several hours before he was due in the arena, Jak lay quietly on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, trying to fall asleep, but it just wasn't happening.

Daxter was around somewhere, but Jak neither knew nor cared where that was.

He continued to think about the conversation he and Daxter had about Keira. _Marry her?_ He could think of a hundred reasons why he shouldn't, and one reason why they should. Was Daxter right? Was love enough? And another thing… what if he fell out of love with her, heaven forbid! He had seen Daxter fall in and out of love with more women than he could count.

 _'Why do you think of this woman all the time?'_ Light's curious voice asked inside his head.

 **'Because he loves her.'** Dark replied with a bit of venom in his voice. **'Ha! There's no such thing!'**

 _'Of course there is love, Dark One.'_ Light replied. _'There is love just as there is hate.'_

Jak shut out the voices, allowing them to argue about the existence of love alone. The two argued and disagreed constantly. Jak had the feeling that even if Light thought that Dark was the most dangerous being on the planet, Dark would disagree out of pure spite.

Finally, he felt sleep begin to take him. And with no complaint, Jak let himself fall asleep.

* * *

(Dream State)

Jak opened his eyes and found that he was in his old room in Haven. Surprised, Jak sat up. "What am I doing here?" He asked, looking around the familiar room.

"Hello, Jak." Said a familiar and welcome voice. Jak looked around, Keira was standing in the corner of the room, smiling at him.

"Keira?" Jak asked, suddenly very aware that he didn't have a shirt on. "What are you doing here?"

Keira laughed, like she was in on some joke that Jak was missing. "You invited me here, silly."

"Did I?" Jak asked, confused.

Without another word, Keira jumped onto the bed, tackling the surprised elf and pressed her lips against his. But he wasn't surprised for long, as he began to kiss her back. When they pulled away, Jak spoke. "This is a dream." He said simply. "I'm still back in Spargus, and you are in Haven."

Keira laughed. "Then, don't you think this is a good dream?"

"Yes." Jak said, and he kissed her again. How he had missed her, even if this was a dream.

Suddenly, Keira pulled away slightly earlier than he would have liked. "I love you, Jak." She whispered.

Jak smiled. "I love you too… for so long…" Jak moved to kiss her again, but she stopped him.

"No, Jak, before that, I have to tell you something." She took a breath and continued. "Do you remember that day… in Carla's house when we talked alone in the room? You asked me what I thought we'd be doing if you weren't dying…"

"Yes." Jak nodded.

"I… knew the answer then… I was just too scared to say it." Keira said. "I didn't think I was ready to take that step… even with you." Keira paused, blushing slightly. "But… I've realized… I'm ready."

Jak's mouth hung open. His dreams were coming true… in a dream. "Are you serious?" He asked. Keira nodded. Jak no longer cared that this wasn't a dream. "Oh, Keira, you have no idea how long I've waited for this." He pulled the she-elf into a passionate kiss.

The couple kissed for several passionate minutes before the elf's hands developed a mind of their own. He attacked Keira's top in an effort to get it off. Keira pulled away and assisted him in pulling her shirt off, and then her bra. Jak, ever the male, couldn't help but stare. Keira grinned sheepishly and pressed herself up against him. It turned out there was a secondary motive behind this move besides the wondrous feeling of flesh-on-flesh. She was now attacking his pants with the same zeal that he did her shirt.

Jak, wanting this as much as she did, helped her ripping off the fabric like a mad person. The lust that he felt for the she-elf overrode his thoughts, all that was left was emotions. So, while Jak finished removing his clothes, so did Keira.

Once they were both completely naked, Keira crawled up next to Jak on the bed where he immediately attacked her with his lips. After a few minutes of making out, Jak rolled over so that he now hovered over Keira's yielding frame.

She gazed up at him, her eyes full of love and trust, when…

"Jak! Wake up!"

Jak let out a small shout of surprise as he sat up in bed. He was back in Spargus and Keira was not there. Daxter was standing outside the closed door, yelling at him to get up.

Jak sighed angrily. So it was just a dream. And then he looked down and gasped. It seemed he had a rather large problem. He shouldn't have been surprised, though, considering his dream…

"Jak? Are you all right?" Daxter began to open the door. In a flash, Jak grabbed a pillow and set it on his lap to cover the incriminating evidence of his dream. Daxter came in. "Jak? What happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Jak said hurriedly. "What is it?"

"Well, your fight's in an hour." Daxter said. He paused, noting Jak's pale face. "Are… are you sure you're all right?"

"Positive." Jak put on a fake reassuring smile. "Just… uh… leave me alone for a few minutes."

Daxter didn't say anything at first, and then: "All right, whatever you say." And then he left.

Jak put his face in his hands. He had been having lots of fantasies about Keira and being with her ever since the Metal-Head Leader was destroyed, but never before had those fantasies affected his body. But then again, he had never got that close with Keira, whether in a dream or real life. Jak shook his head. "I can't even be with her in my dreams."

He sighed and took care of himself. Once the evidence of his arousal was gone, Jak got up, and composed himself. Still, this was a highly embarrassing, this was something that he'd never even tell Keira. This was a secret he would take to his grave.

 _'What happened to us?'_ Light asked. _'Why do I feel like… I don't know…'_

 **'I'm wondering that myself.'** Dark grumbled.

 _Shut up! Both of you!_ Jak thought at them.

**'And, by the way, pussy, that feeling… its called lust and arousal. See, what he wants to do is…'**

_Shut up!_ Jak yelled silently. _What I want to do is none of your business!_

 **'Why not?'** Dark asked. **'We live in your _mind_! I was born of your anger and Pussy here was born of your… goodness… crap. We _are_ you! Only I'm much cooler…'**

 _…I'd kill you if I could._ Jak grumbled.

 **'But you can't, so HA!'** Dark laughed.

Jak shut off the rest of the conversation. He swore, he would kill them if it didn't mean killing himself. He got up, put on his armor. Once the armor was on correctly, he walked out.

Daxter was waiting for him. "Are you sure that you're all right."

"Sure, Dax." Jak said. "I'm perfectly fine." A downright lie.

* * *

(Throne Room)

Damas sat on the Throne, speaking to one of his oldest friends, a man who had been by his side since the beginning. "So, have you found him?"

The man sighed from the shadows. "I'm sorry, Damas. I looked all over that City, but I've nothing."

"Not even…?"

"Not even your wife, sire." The man said. "I'm sorry, but I've looked everywhere, and I couldn't just go asking around." Damas sighed, and stood up from the throne, walking a short distance away. The man spoke up again. "You know I cared for that boy and your wife almost as much as you do…"

"No, it's all right. I understand." Damas said. "But I can't give up. I have to believe he's still alive out there… somewhere. If he's not… then I have no more reason to live. I was so stupid. I risked my life, and destroyed my family just for the sake of ending a war…" He paused. "What if she never forgave me for that?"

"It wasn't your fault, sire." The man said. "No one could have predicted your own general would…"

"Enough of that man!" Damas ordered. "I'll have no mention of him in this City! However… we must begin to make plans in the event that he's never found." Damas paused, thinking. "Can I trust you to run this City in the event of my death and the boy is not found?"

"Of course, your Highness." The man said.

Damas straightened up, looking like a King again. "Well, I should be off. I've got a trial to preside over."

"Which trial?"

"The Last One."

"Really? How 'bout I go down and be the 'Hunter'?" The man asked.

"You know the rules. Either you die or the rookie must die." Damas said. "I can't do that. I need you to run this City after the expected eventuality of my death."

"This is a rookie we're talking about, right? Should be no problem."

"This is no ordinary rookie we're talking about here." Damas said. "You must know him… his name is…"

"It doesn't matter." The man said. "I can handle myself, you know that, Damas. You wouldn't turn the City over to me if you thought I was a helpless fighter."

Damas faced his friend. "Thank you for your work in Haven, my friend. I appreciate it."

"No problem, your Majesty. I would have stayed even longer for you." The man said as they walked out of the Throne Room together.

* * *

Jak walked into the arena and walked over to the platform that was under Damas' platform. Damas stood up from his Throne. "Welcome to your final trial, warrior. You have proven your agility, strength, and prowess on the battlefield. But you've been fighting animals so far. The beast is not an intelligent animal at all, and the Marauders are only a little better. It is time for you to prove that you can outsmart a warrior, one that can think for himself and use trickery to accomplish his goals." Damas paused. "Make the Hunted the Hunter. Find your Hunter and take him out before he takes you out."

"No problem." Jak said.

"Remember, if you win this one, you'll become a true Wastelander." Damas said. "Now go."

Jak turned around and looked at the arena format, which was now set up into a maze, perfect for hiding and seeking. The platform Jak stood on lowered into the maze and Jak was instantly on high alert. He was used to tracking Metal-Heads, but this wasn't a Metal-Head. This was an unknown Elvin warrior. As such, he would have to be weary of sneak attacks and back-stabbings.

A broadsword materialized out of nowhere and the Dark Elf began to move down the path, constantly on alert.

He came to the first fork in the path and he looked around the corner. He saw nothing. He listened for any telltale sounds, but heard nothing. He learned long ago the value of his enhanced senses. Whoever this warrior was, he knew how to stalk his prey. Jak's predator instincts kicked in and he moved swiftly down the right path, weapon always at the ready.

Jak knew one thing about mazes. What you were looking for tends to be in the center. He continued this strategy for a while, always checking a path before venturing onto it. Suddenly…

Something shot right past Jak's ear, and he knew instantly that he was under fire. He jumped into a nearby alcove.

"Well, we've found the Hunter." Jak whispered.

"Great, now take him out before he has the chance to take US out!" Daxter hissed.

"Shhh." Jak said, and Daxter fell quiet. He listened as the sound of heavy booted feet moved down the path. He carefully timed the steps, waiting for them to get within striking distance. Jak's grip tightened on the hilt of the Dark Weapon as he waited. Then, it was time. Jak jumped out of the alcove and raised the sword to strike. The Hunter raised his gun, a PeaceMaker. Then… Jak saw who was holding the weapon. "Sig?"

It was Sig, indeed. Jak lowered the Dark Weapon. Sig lowered his weapon in surprise. "Jak? Daxter?" He asked.

"Sig!" Daxter exclaimed.

"Well, don't you two look sorrier than ever?" Sig commented.

"What are you doing here?" Jak asked.

"Honing my skills." Sig said.

"What's going on?" Damas suddenly roared, staring down on them. "You two know the rules of the arena, now fight!"

Sig looked up at Damas, nodded, and then looked at Jak, his eyes narrowed. "Let's finish this."

"Jak backed away, dropping the sword. "Whoa, come on, Sig. I'm not going to fight you. I don't kill my friends anymore."

"One or the other has to die." Sig said. "If we don't fight, Damas'll kill us both. It's the rules of the arena. The only merciful opinion left is to fight." Sig waited for Jak to pick up the dropped weapon or to get another one. Jak looked down at the weapon and it disintegrated into nothing.

Pecker was beside himself. "It seems that the Great Warrior, Jak, is refusing to fight!" He yelled to the audience so they could know what was going on. "Now, this something I never thought I'd see!"

Sig sighed and raised the Peacemaker. It was clear to see that he didn't like the idea of shooting an unarmed man. It was murder. He aimed the Peacemaker right at Jak. "Sorry, cherries, nothing personal."

Jak did not move, though he knew full well that he would never survive a direct blast from a Peacemaker. Healing powers could only do so much.

"Oh-oh…" Daxter said when he saw that Jak had no intention of moving out of the way of the blast.

Sig's eyes narrowed and time slowed to a crawl. Years seemed to pass as the Peacemaker's laser sight centered on Jak's chest. Suddenly, Sig's face softened and he let the Peacemaker drop to the ground. "I can't do it." He said.

Jak barely had time to register the fact that Sig wasn't going to kill him when a voice sounded through the arena, one that filled him with dread it was so angry. "Treachery!" Damas stood up from the Throne angrily. "One _must_ destroy the other! Complete the test, or face _worse_ pain!"

Jak and Sig didn't move. Sig merely shook his head. "I just know I'm gonna regret this…"

 **'You idiot!'** Dark roared in his head, causing Jak to flinch. **'You could kill him easily, even without my help!'**

 _I can't kill a friend… not again._ Jak thought. _If I do, I'll become just as terrible as the people I fought to destroy._

 **'You and your honor code! It makes me sick!'** Dark grumbled.

 _'I support your decision.'_ Light said helpfully.

 _Great. But I doubt we're going to live through this one._ Jak thought.

Damas pointed at the trio in the maze. "Seize them!"

Warriors instantly ran into the maze and converged on the two warriors and the Ottsel. "Don't fight them." Sig said to Jak. "It will only make the situation worse."

"How can it get worse?" Jak wondered out loud, but he didn't fight. It took all his will power not to fight back. He had not fought Sig because he was a friend, one of the few friends that Jak had. But he didn't know these warriors at all, so he could easily kill them without any guilt trips.

However, as much as Jak hated it, he allowed the warriors to put him in a nelson. The warriors knew that if Jak didn't want to give in, and he wanted to fight, they would have all died.

They led both the warriors away without a word to them.

* * *

They were led straight to Damas' Throne Room where the powerful King began to grill them. "How dare you two defile the purity of the arena!" Damas rounded on Sig, who lowered his eyes. "Sig, I thought better of you, but your time in Haven City has obviously poisoned you!" Damas then rounded on Jak. "And you, newcomer, you deserve _no_ mercy! I should toss you both into the jaws of the desert!" Damas paused, looking between the two guilty parties. Jak didn't let any emotion show on his face, but he honestly did not look forward to being tossed back out into the desert. Dying of dehydration was not very high on the list of ways he wanted to die. "However…" Damas said, turning back to Sig. "Sig, your years of service as our spy in Haven City…" Jak stared at Sig. "…Has earned you a chance to redeem yourself, but only this once!"

"A spy?" Jak asked Sig quietly.

"Just shut up! I'll tell you later." Sig hissed back.

Damas then turned to Jak. "And you… I won't deny that a fighter of your skills isn't useful out here in the desert. But you are not getting off that easily either. There's a mountain the Metal-Heads have taken over as a Nest not too far from here. There are eggs there, but they will not have hatched yet. I want you to drive into the heart of the Nest and take out every egg inside. The Metal-Heads will have these eggs well protected, so watch out. I won't pretend that this is going to be easy, and there's little chance that you two will be coming back in one piece. I'd say 'good luck', but then luck won't help you."

Sig bowed respectfully as he backed away, and Jak awkwardly followed his actions. They walked out of the Throne Room.

"Whew!" Daxter breathed. "That was close! Hey, Jak, did you hear how he went on about that arena? 'Defiling the purity' and all… you'd think we defiled a virgin or something…"

Jak growled loudly and Daxter instantly shut up.

"So, Damas picked you two up after you were banished?" Sig asked. "Quite a lucky break, huh?"

"I guess." Jak said. "I almost died out there."

"The heat or dehydration?" Sig asked.

"A bit of both." Jak said.

"How long were you out there?"

"They told me several hours."

"H—hours?" Sig demanded. "Wow… that's practically unheard of for a Havener like you to survive the desert for even an hour. Even seasoned Spargains can't stay out there for more than a few hours! It's hard to believe that you really are a Havener, you could be a native-born Wastelander. But… that's not possible unless you were a Marauder before you showed up in Haven."

"I assure you, I'm not a Marauder." Jak said.

"I guess your right…" Sig said, staring hard at Jak as though trying to see through him. "You don't have the look of a Marauder. Marauders are tough as steel, for they are born into a tough life." Sig paused. "You have the look of who had an easy childhood, and then something happened… forcing you to grow up."

Jak stared at Sig. "Oh my God…"

"Wow!" Daxter exclaimed. "That's Jak's life story! That's amazing, how did you know that?"

But Jak didn't let Sig answer, because words started to slip out of his mouth like they had been dying to be told to someone… anyone. "I grew up in a place with no Metal-Heads." He said. "It was a simple village, not a complicated life. And then I was thrown into prison…" Jak trailed off, he rarely spoke out loud about his prison days. They were simply too painful to remember or to think about.

Everyone realized they had touched a sore subject, so they didn't question Jak any further about his past. The elf shook his head. No use wallowing in the past, right? What's done is done, and there was nothing Jak could do about it. The only thing he could do was to make his future worth living. Not that he had much of a future if he failed this test.

"Let's do this!" Jak said, his old spark was back.

"Hey! There's the Jak we all know!" Sig said brightly. "Let's make those Metal-Heads wish they never laid eggs here in the Wasteland!"

"Oh… no!" Daxter said. "Whenever you two get stuck together, you just know there's gonna be trouble!"

"Come on, Dax, how many times have you been put into mortal danger because of me?" Jak asked.

"Do you really want to know?" Daxter asked. "Possible a thousand times!"

"Come on…" Jak began.

"That's not even counting the times you put my life in danger by exposing me to Dark Eco!"

"But you seem to have a pretty good immunity to it." Jak said. "Possibly even better than mine before the Precursor."

"But you brag all the time about having the best Dark Eco immunity in the world." Daxter said.

"Now I do." Jak said. "I could drink Dark Eco without hurting myself… not that I'd want to drink it… it tastes nasty…"

"Since when did you drink Dark Eco?" Daxter asked.

"Okay, so maybe I didn't drink it… just the opposite." Jak said, shuttering.

"Eating it?"

"Vomiting it."

"God, now you've brought back unwanted memories!" Daxter said, shaking his head to get rid of the 'unwanted memories'. "Let's just get this over with!"

They walked into the Garage and Sig led them to a large, heavily armored buggy. "This here's the Gila Stomper." Sig said. "This thing has a powerful auto-turret gun that will tear through even Metal-Pedes like nobody's business! Those eggs won't stand a chance!"

"Sounds great." Jak said, jumping into the vehicle, and starting to get situated in the driver's seat.

Suddenly… "Move over, cherries." Sig was climbing into the vehicle.

Jak's jaw dropped. "But… Sig!" He glared at the passenger seat. "I can drive it too!"

"Yeah, I've heard of your so-called 'driving'." Sig said. "You take the gun, I'll drive."

"You're not my father!" Jak grumbled, but he moved over to the passenger seat.

Daxter elbowed Jak. "Technically, you don't know that."

Jak stared at Daxter. "What?" And then he turned to Sig. "Have you ever fought the Metal-Head Leader before in your life?"

Sig laughed. "I wish. Man, it tears me up inside that you got to kick the Metal-Head Leader's ass while I was trying to escape the Underport Labyrinth."

Jak gave Daxter a significant look. "Okay, so you were right and I was wrong."

The only clue Jak had of his father's identity was that he once fought the Metal-Head Leader. So, Sig was definitely out, which was a good thing because the thought of Sig being his father was just plain… scary.

Sig turned on the Gila Stomper and drove out of the Garage and into the Wasteland.

* * *

Finally, the last Metal-Head egg was destroyed and Sig turned the vehicle around and began to head out of the Nest and head back to Spargus. He turned on the radio. "Sig and Jak to King Damas." He said. "Mission accomplished."

"Good job Sig… and you too, Jak." Damas' voice said over the radio. "I promised you mercy. Mercy is earned, and it is granted. But, I'm warning you now, never defile the purity of the arena again!" He disconnected.

Jak sighed with relief. "Well, looks like we live to fight another day, huh Sig?"

"That was too close for my liking." Sig said.

"Do you think I'll get another chance at getting my last War Amulet?" Jak asked.

"Eventually." Sig said. "You kinda blew it for a while. I doubt the people back in Haven would believe that you actually refused to fight someone."

"Hey, I don't kill my friends… not anymore." Jak said, thinking of Sorus. "Although, if I do say so myself, I could have beaten you easily."

"Great, now I'm really regretting letting you go." Sig said. "A good ass-kicking is exactly what you need to deflate your ego."

"Hey! I've never said I could do anything that I couldn't do!" Jak hissed. He seemed to wait for something, but what he was waiting for wasn't coming. "Fine, as Daxter would say right now 'Jak walks the walk, and he talks the talk'!"

"Oops, did I miss a joke opportunity?" Daxter asked.

"You just said something right now. That you can kick my ass." Sig said.

"Easily." Jak said. "Even without my Dark Powers."

"Sorry, but Jak's not kidding here." Daxter said sensibly.

Sig simply grumbled something about teaching the elf a lesson someday that he won't forget. But Jak ignored him. He was unbeatable!


	20. "Come Back To The City"

Ashelin packed up her Hellcat for the journey into the Wasteland. Her mission? To find Jak and somehow convince him to come back to the City and help them fight the Metal-Heads and the Death Bots.

Along with Samos' assurances that Jak was alive and well in the Wasteland, having been picked up by the Wastelanders, as she had hoped. Ashelin also carried a few other items with her.

One was the JetBoard, which Keira gave to her when she told everyone that she was going to find Jak. Keira handed her the Board. "Give it to him… if you find him." She said.

The most important item she carried, however, was Jak's Seal of Mar, which was recovered before the blockade of the Port. The Seal was definitely the most valuable of the objects that she would return to Jak. It was said that the Seal of Mar was a Key to the technologies of the Precursors themselves, not to mention the technology Mar himself built. But, the most secret of powers could only be unlocked by Mar's one true heir. And Ashelin knew for a fact that Mar's heir was currently in the Wasteland Desert.

Yes, Ashelin knew that Jak was actually Prince Mar of Haven City, but she respected his privacy and didn't tell anyone that she knew about his privileged birth. Besides, he didn't seem the type of man who would want any claim to the Throne that, in all respects, belonged to him. But Jak didn't have to worry about Haven wanting him as King. The people had grown fearful of having a single person gaining so much power. They would never allow a monarchy or a dictatorship again, whether that person was a son of Mar or anyone else.

Ashelin jumped into the Hellcat and hoped to the Precursors that Jak was willing to come back and save them all.

* * *

Back in Spargus, Jak and Sig were discussing 'old times' in the local bar.

"Remember the time I saved your ass out at the Pumping Station?" Jak asked.

"When was that?" Sig asked.

"You know, when we were hunting Metal-Heads for Krew and your Peacemaker jammed." Jak reminded him.

"Oh yeah, which was a lucky break for those Metal-Heads, let me tell you."

"Yeah right." Jak laughed. And then he laughed even harder when he saw that Daxter was passed out on the counter.

Suddenly, the door of the bar opened. "Is there someone named 'Jak' here?"

Jak looked over. "What?"

"You're Jak?"

"That's me."

"You've got a message." The man said shortly. "Follow me."

Jak looked at Sig, who shrugged. And then Jak grabbed Daxter and followed the man out.

* * *

The man led Jak into the Spargus Control Room, where radars scanned the whole desert and all transmissions were monitored. One of the men working at a station looked up. "You Jak?" He asked, and Jak nodded. "We received this message at oh ten hundred hours on revolving frequencies." The man turned to the controls and began to play back the message.

A female voice sounded through the speakers. "Broadcasting on revolving frequencies. I'm looking for Jak. Jak? If you get this message, please meet me at the Desert Oasis. Please, Jak, it's a matter of utmost importance."

With that, the transmission ended.

"Ashelin!" Jak gasped. He had recognized her voice instantly.

"So, you know this woman?"

"Of course, she's Ashelin Praxis, the new Governess of Haven City." He said. "Are there any sandstorms coming?"

"No." The man answered, looking at the screen.

"I'm going out there." Jak said, turning around and walking out.

Daxter yawned from Jak's arms, waking up. "What'd I miss?" He asked.

"We're going to the oasis." Jak said.

"The Oasis? Is that a new bar or something?"

"No, the oasis is a sorry little excuse for a lake out in the Wasteland." Jak said. "We're going to meet Ashelin there."

"Ashelin?" Daxter asked. "What for?"

"I don't know. But she says that it's urgent." Jak said as he walked into the Garage, jumped into the Sand Shark and took off into the Wasteland.

* * *

But the oasis, Ashelin was pacing and wiping sweat off her face. She had no idea how Jak could have survived this heat.

Finally, after several more minutes of waiting, she heard the sounds of an approaching vehicle. She looked up just in time to see a strange wheeled vehicle come over the nearest sand dune and pull to a stop. Then someone jumped out of the vehicle. It was Jak, and he seemed to have adapted to desert life. He seemed rougher, his hair was cut short, he was wearing more desert appropriate clothes, and he had a nice tan.

Daxter also jumped out of the vehicle and jogged over to Ashelin. "Hey, baby, ya thought ya dumped me, huh?" Ashelin rolled her eyes. Samos never told her that Daxter was still alive. "I knew you'd be back for some more orange lovin'!" Daxter pointed to his face. "Get a good look, it's the last time you'll get to see it."

Jak walked up, his face unreadable. "Ashelin? What are you doing out here in the desert?"

"Jak… it's good to see you…" Ashelin began, but Daxter cut her off.

"Listen, toots, you left us in the desert, so talk to the tail, cause the whiskers ain't listenin'." Daxter turned around. "We out, Jak."

But Jak didn't move. "That beacon you gave me…" He paused. "Thanks."

"I knew someone would find you." Ashelin said. "The Wastelanders don't miss anything in this desert."

"How do you know about the Spargains?" Jak asked.

"It doesn't matter now." Ashelin said, shaking her head. "Jak, I need you to come back to Haven City."

"To my death? You know what the punishment is for breaking exile." Jak growled.

"No, your banishment has been temporarily reversed. You can come back… you _must_ come back. We're losing the fight. Vegar's drunk on power and he's taken command." Jak was barely paying attention to her, he was looking off in the distance. He thought he heard something. "Jak, are you listening to me? I need you to…" Suddenly, Ashelin stared into the distance, the same way that Jak was looking. She heard it too.

"Look out!" Jak yelled, pushing the she-elf aside.

Several Marauders topped the nearest hill, dozens and dozens of them.

Jak felt the Dark Eco in his body become active and he was only too glad to let the transformation over take him. The normally painful transformation into his demon form occurred quickly and almost painlessly. He grinned once his change was complete. Now he was invincible!

Suddenly, a Marauder slashed a sharp spiked sword at him and Dark Jak was forced to leap backwards.

He landed on all fours about ten feet back from his original position. Ashelin had her pistol out and she was shooting the Marauders, but it wasn't going very well. Daxter had taken cover behind a medium-sized rock.

And then the demon looked down. Was it fate or merely chance that a Dark Eco crystal had fallen out of his pocket and landed right in front of him? Dark Jak stared at it. Tiatin's voice drifted though his mind. "Increase your power hundreds of times… army of one."

Dark Jak's curiosity grew and he reached out to touch the Eco crystal. After a slight hesitation, Dark Jak touched the Dark Crystal.

His body was instantly over-loaded with Dark Eco and Dark Jak let out a loud roar as Dark Eco cackled in the air around his body like a miniature electric storm. He began to grow with Dark light as the sheer power flowing through his body lifted him into the air.

Daxter stared. Things were really getting creepy. Dark storm clouds were gathering in the previously clear sky, and the glowing, floating Dark Jak continued to roar loudly, as if in pain. "Okay… getting a little afraid. I need a young monk and an old monk! The power of the Precursors compel you! The power of the Precursors compel you!"

Lightning flashed in the sky, but instead of normal lightning, Dark Eco flashed across the sky. All the Marauders had stopped attacking and were staring at the demon and the sky in horror. Dark Jak let out another roar as Dark Eco Lightning flew down from the sky and hit one of the Marauders, vaporizing him instantly. More Dark Lightning struck the ground and the Marauders. However, even with the mass of Dark Lightning attacking the area, Ashelin and Daxter remained unharmed, so it appeared that Jak had some control over his new ability.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, which was only about twenty seconds in real life, the last Marauder was destroyed and the huge Dark Eco assault ended.

Dark Jak stopped glowing and fell to the ground, landing on all fours. The transformation melted away, leaving only Jak, who groaned in pain.

Ashelin ran up to him. "Jak? Are you all right?" She reached out to touch him.

"Don't touch me!" Jak hissed, she drew her hand away from him. "It hurts." He grit his teeth against the pain that screamed in his body.

"What the hell was that?" Daxter demanded. "I've never seen that before! That was the most awesome thing I've ever seen!" In response, Jak opened his hand and showed them the Dark Eco Crystal.

"It's a… Dark Eco Crystal." Ashelin gasped in surprise. They were really rare.

"Oh, I get it." Daxter said. "You tried that 'army of one' thing, didn't you?" Jak nodded. "Well, did you remember the Precursor said not to use it too much cause you could destroy yourself!"

"I almost did kill myself there." Jak groaned. "I went too long. Short bursts from now on."

"What's going on?" Ashelin asked.

"Nothing." Jak gasped in pain as he forced himself off the ground.

"Oh, I almost forgot." Ashelin began when she saw that Jak was all right. She walked over to her nearby cruiser and pulled out a familiar object. Jak's heart leapt. "Keira asked me to give you this."

It was Keira's JetBoard. "The JetBoard!" Jak accepted the condensed hover-board. "Keira… how is she? Is she safe?"

"Yes. She's well protected." Ashelin said with just a bite of jealousy in her voice that Jak happened to catch. "At least… she's safe for now. Jak, your friends need you… _I_ need you."

Jak growled angrily. "That City threw me out after I risked my life to save them, remember? They can _rot_ for all I care!"

Ashelin put a hand on Jak's unarmored shoulder. "But… what about your duties as a hero?"

Jak pulled his shoulder out from under Ashelin's hand. "Forget about it! Just leave, Ashelin! I've got new friends now." Daxter watched, looking between Jak and Ashelin, confused.

"So… the hero I knew did die in the desert." Ashelin said sadly. She pulled Jak around to face her and pulled something out of her pocket. "Don't you remember who you are?" Ashelin put the thing in Jak's hand.

He looked at it. It was the Seal of Mar, made out of Precursor Metal. The metal flashed in the Wasteland sun. Jak frowned and looked at Ashelin. "I know who I am. You're the one who doesn't know a damn about me. You never knew the hero. He died before you met him."

"But, Jak…"

"I'm _done_ with saving the world!" Jak growled. "I'm sick of risking my life and only getting pain in return! Just go away, Ashelin, you have a City to save."

Ashelin stared at Jak, but his face told her that he wasn't going to change his mind without something in it for him. "I'm sorry you feel that way, Jak." She said quietly. She got back into the Hellcat and, with one last look at Jak, she took off back to Haven City.

Daxter stared, open-mouthed at Jak. "And just what the hell was all that about?"

"What?" Jak asked, not even looking at his friend.

"That!" Daxter yelled, pointing in Ashelin's direction.

"Isn't it obvious?" Jak asked, and then he sighed. "I think she has a crush on me."

Daxter's mouth hung open. "No way! The hottest woman in Haven City has a crush on _you_? Now that's unbelievable, especially since I thought she was going out with old Tattoo-Face. Still, she's the hottest woman in Haven City… quite the catch, eh, buddy?"

"She's not the hottest woman in Haven in my eyes." Jak said quietly.

"Oh yes… Keira." Daxter and, and then he sighed. "Poor Ashelin."

Jak looked down at the Seal of Mar again. He growled. "I want nothing to do with that damn City. I won't help them, I won't come to their rescue, and I am definitely _not_ going to rule them!"

"Amen to that, buddy!" Daxter said in a false-cheery voice in an attempt to get Jak to smile… or at least feel better. "Imagine you as Prince Jak Mar, or even King Jak Mar! Now _that's_ a scary thought!"

But Jak didn't laugh, grin, smile, or even smirk. "No, it's a stupid thought. I'm a warrior, not a leader. I don't give orders, I follow them."

"But, you know what, I think the Prince is in there somewhere."

Jak scoffed. "What?"

"Sure, remember the day you assaulted the Palace when you disarmed that security like it was nothing. You said 'I thought everyone in my family knew' or something along those lines. The point is, that wasn't really you speaking, it was your inner-Prince!"

"Inner-Prince?" Jak repeated. "Just how many split personalities do I have?"

"Well, Prince Jak would make three." Daxter said.

 **'I'd hate to break the news to you, dumbass, but me and pussy are the only ones in here.'** Dark pointed out.

 _'You shouldn't talk that way about our host!'_ Light scolded.

 **'How many times do I have to tell you? Jak is not 'dumbass'! The rat is!'** Dark growled.

 _'Well, it seems he can't hear you.'_ Light pointed out.

"Shut up! Both of you!" Jak yelled. Daxter looked at him strangely.

"Are you sure that last attack didn't scramble your brains or something?"


	21. Back To The Temple

Jak jumped back into the Sand Shark and was about to turn on the engine when he heard…

_Great One…_

_Oh, Precursors… didn't I tell you to shut up?_ Jak thought, assuming that it was Light.

 _I believe you are confusing me with someone else._ The voice said. _I am Tiatin._

 _Oh…_ Jak paused. _Sorry…I thought you were…_

 _Do not worry, Great One. It must be tiring to have so many inner-voices._ Tiatin said. _I need you to come to the Temple. It is time once again to upgrade your Light powers._

 _Really?_ Jak asked.

 _'Really?'_ Light asked with a bit more enthusiasm.

 **'Oh great…'** Dark groaned. **'You lose a few abilities, and then the next thing you know, you get replaced. Hey! Can that pussy kill dozens of Metal-Heads with one go? I don't think so!'**

 _Peace, Dark One._ Tiatin said. _You will not be replaced. You can only become stronger._

 **'Liar.'** Dark hissed.

_Please, Great One, come to the Temple. It is essential that you learn these abilities as quickly as possible._

_Okay. Just give me about a half an hour. I need to grab the Dune Hopper._

_Very well, Great One. I will await you in the Oracle's Chamber._ And with that, Tiatin faded away.

 **'Man, why do they call you 'Great One'? I want to be the Great One!'** Dark complained.

"Hello! Earth to Jak! You've been sitting there for two minutes!" Daxter said loudly.

Jak sighed. "Precursors…"

"Don't swear."

"I wasn't swearing. I was just saying 'Precursors'." Jak said. "Tiatin wants me to come to the Precursor Monk Temple to increase my Light Powers."

"Oh, you mean Mr. Glow-Boy-Precursor-Wannabe?" Daxter asked.

"God, Dax, you've already got Dark mad at you, do you want Light mad at you too?" Jak asked.

"Light's probably not even capable of anger!" Daxter said. "I bet he's just a goodie-two-shoes like you… when you were younger."

 _'However much I hate to admit it…'_ Light said. _'You're right, Dark, he's a dumbass.'_

Jak snorted. "What?" Daxter asked. "What's so funny?"

"God, I wish you could have heard that." Jak laughed.

"What? Was it Dark? What did he say about me now?" Daxter demanded.

"It wasn't Dark. It was Light." Jak said. "He agrees with Dark and thinks that you're a dumbass."

"Your Light Side said that?" Daxter blinked, possibly wondering why Jak's good side was swearing. "Jak, only you could have a good side that uses that sort of language."

"Don't blame that on me, I didn't teach him that. It was Dark." Jak said.

"You know, your Dark Side really bugs me." Daxter grumbled.

"Whatever. But we can argue about my alter-egos some other time. Right now, we should get to the Temple." Jak said. "I promised Tiatin that I would be there in a half an hour."

"Then we mustn't be late with your appointment to meet the God-like Precursor, Tiatin." Daxter said.

"I doubt he considers himself a God." Jak said. "Just look at his name."

"What about his name?" Daxter asked.

"You never listened to a word Samos said, did you?" Jak asked. "Tiatin is an old Precursor word that means something along the lines of 'Dark Fate'. What God would call themselves 'Dark Fate'?"

"An evil one." Daxter answered.

Jak didn't reply and drove off before the Marauders could come. But he couldn't shake the feeling that somehow, Tiatin would live up to his name…

* * *

After a quick trip to Spargus to pick up the Dune Hopper, Jak headed towards the Temple. He pulled up to the front. He once again heard Tiatin's voice inside his head.

_The way is clear. This cannot wait and the Monks must not interrupt you._

_That's a good thing, cause they would boot me out faster than I could say 'But I've got an appointment!'_ Jak thought.

No reply from the strange Precursor, the last of an ancient race.

"Let's go." Jak said quickly as he walked into the empty Temple. The monks were off somewhere else, even leaving incense burning and papers that were left over from the monks translating the symbols on the walls.

Jak didn't even bother to snoop. The symbols meaning was as plain as day to him. It told the story about how the Precursors created their world.

Jak knew the story, it had been told to him many times by Samos when he was just a little boy back in Sandover, a boy who soaked up every piece of information on the Precursors like a sponge. The Ancients used a super-advanced technology called 'terraforming', or the ability to change an environment to suit a better purpose. Everyone knew that the planet they lived on was once uninhabitable, a lifeless rock floating in space. Then the Precursors came and adjusted the flow of Eco inside the planet until it was able to support life. Only then were the elves able to evolve, aided by the Precursors themselves. Then, eons ago, the Precursors disappeared, leaving the Elvin race to evolve on their own until they were much the same as they were today. _A half-conquered race that's going down the toilet._ Jak thought angrily.

Not that the Precursors were not doing much better. As far as Jak knew, Tiatin was the last of his kind. Jak didn't see how the Precursor race would live again. He couldn't help but think that the Precursors were now a hopeless case, a race riding on its last legs. The Precursors would end with Tiatin.

Jak's eyes found Mar's picture on the wall. The Great Warrior and Hero stood proudly, forever fixed in stone, holding the two Eco weapons aloft in challenge, as if daring his enemies to face him.

Ashelin's words rang through his head. "Don't you remember who you are?" He was Jak Mar, descendant of the Great King, Mar, and rightful heir to Haven's Throne. But those were just titles, those words were not who he was. Even his name! The more famous 'Jak' was a hero. The real Jak was a washed-up, prison escapee with a serious attitude problem.

"Great-grandfather…" Jak said to the carving of his ancestor, even though he knew Mar was quite a few more 'greats' than that. "What would you do in my place? Would you go back and help the people who had hurt you, or would you stay here and let them rot?"

"First off, I'd stop being a pessimist and start looking on the brighter side of things."

"Shut up, Daxter." Jak said, rolling his eyes.

"Yessir!" Daxter said, saluting.

Jak decided to ignore his friend and turned to walk down the hall to the Oracle's chamber.

* * *

Soon enough, they came to a small circular room. Jak looked around. There appeared to be no exit, or at least no obvious one. "Great." Jak sighed.

He walked into the room, looking around for a door. "So? Is there a way out, or have you gotten us lost?"

"I'm not lost." Jak said. And then he saw it. It was a huge round door made completely out of the orange Precursor Metal. It had the Seal of Mar engraved on the face of the metal.

"Whoa… big door." Daxter breathed.

Jak ignored him. Instead, he pulled his own Seal of mar out of his pocket. He held the Seal up to the door. The metal seal in his hand flashed once and the door opened without complaint. Jak put the Seal away. "Now we're getting somewhere."

"That's the ticket!" Daxter exclaimed. "Great thinking with the Seal of Mar! What do you know, the thing actually does more than look cool!"

Jak walked through the door and into a short hallway and at the end of the hallway was the chamber of the Great Oracle.

Tiatin the Precursor stood before it. Jak walked up behind the Precursor. "I'm here." He said. "You said something about a Light power upgrade."

Tiatin turned around. "Yes, I did." He said. "I said I would upgrade your powers when you were ready for them. I believe this power will help you in your upcoming trials."

"I still haven't decided whether or not to help you." Jak said.

"I know. But there is no harm in preparing you as if you have agreed to help us." Tiatin said. "If you will?"

Jak nodded and transformed into his Light Side. Within a second, he was fully transformed. The Precursor moved forward and placed a glowing hand on Light Jak's forehead. His eyes slid closed as the information poured into his brain, and then he opened his eyes in shock. He couldn't believe the nature of the power. "Is it true?" He asked.

"Go on." Tiatin urged. "Try it. See that it is true."

Light Jak felt for the new power and it activated. Everything around him turned fuzzy and stopped. Everything simply stopped. Even the Precursor didn't move. Daxter, who had started to jump off Jak's shoulder when the power activated was frozen in mid-air! He now had the power to stop time for everyone but himself! He reached out for Daxter and picked him out of the air, but the rat didn't react. He was frozen, frozen in time. This would give Jak limitless possibilities! In a desperate situation, Jak could freeze time and kill all his enemies while they were frozen in their own timelines!

Light Jak was about to put Daxter back where he was originally, but than he stopped. There was no harm in playing a good joke, right?

* * *

No time later, Light Jak allowed the time freeze to stop. Time caught up with him and everything started up again.

"AUGH!" Daxter screamed. Possibly because one second ago, he was jumping off Jak's shoulder, and then the next… he was ten feet in the air and falling towards the ground below. He hit the ground with a splat, but since he's so used to getting beat up he got right back up. "Okay, what the hell was that?" He demanded.

Jak and Tiatin ignored him. Tiatin let out a general sense of amusement. "You like it?"

"Of course!" Jak said. "This power's amazing!"

"Well, I hope you see more uses for it than playing practical jokes on your friend." Tiatin said seriously.

"I do." Jak said.

"Now, to business." Tiatin said, even more seriously. "I see in your mind that you have decided not to go back to Haven City, am I correct?"

"Yes." Jak said. "I want nothing to do with that City."

"Yes, well, I have to tell you that this is a dreadful error on your part. Only in Haven City can you learn the truth about your past… and your ultimate destiny." Tiatin said. "Only in Haven will you learn the truth about yourself, the world, and how you fit into it."

"Well, that is a problem then, isn't it?" Jak asked. "Because I'm not going back into Haven City. I've felt nothing but pain in that City. I suffer to keep them safe, and they make me suffer in return. My life is not mine in Haven! Out here…" Jak paused. "I have a life. I have a home, a job, people who respect me. And out here, I'm free of Haven's Crown."

Tiatin shook his head. "Like I said… it is your choice in the end. I can not make you do anything against your will."

"You nearly made me cut off my own arm." Jak pointed out. "I don't think I wanted to do that."

"It was… necessary." Tiatin said simply. "Besides, I caught you off guard that time. No doubt you are already protecting your mind against such intrusions."

"Why did you possess my body anyway?" Jak asked. "Don't your own writings say that a person's last sanctuary is his mind and a place that shouldn't be invaded without due cause?"

"Yes, without due cause, and I did have due cause." Tiatin said. "But, the choice in this matter, in all matters, is ultimately yours and no one else's."

"I have found only pain in Haven City." Jak said. "And that's the only thing I'll ever find."

"That is not all you found in Haven, and you know it." Tiatin said sternly. "No matter how much you deny it, you have feelings for the rest of your kind. You have emotions. You can feel joy, sorrow…" The Precursor paused. "Love."

"Don't try and get me with that sentimental crap." Jak said. "I'll admit that I do love, but I'm not ready to ruin my life for it, or to die for it."

"There are many things in life worth fighting for… worth dying for… love is one of them." Tiatin said. "Would you not do anything for the ones that you love?"

"I would do anything within reason." Jak said. "But I don't believe that love is worth dying for." He turned away from the Precursor.

Tiatin stared at Jak's back. "Very well, Great One. I wish it were different." With that, the Precursor vanished.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Daxter demanded. "I don't believe love is worth dying for'? I think you've been away from Keira too long! You've forgotten just how love feels! Don't you ever want to see Keira again?"

Jak rounded on Daxter, anger burning in his eyes. Dark Eco cackled over his body for a split second. "Of course I want to see her again! Every peaceful moment I have, I think of her! You know, we are so different… but at the same time, we're so…"

"Perfect?" Daxter supplied.

"Hardly perfect." Jak said. "But if it felt so right when I was with her…"

"Dude… you need to get laid." Daxter said.

"How many times do I have to tell you to shut up?" Jak asked.

"At least five hundred billion more times." Daxter said. "That is, unless of course, you decide to kill yourself or you get killed."

"It's tempting." Jak said, conjuring a sword. "Can you hold this for me while I fall on it?"

Daxter looked nervous. "Hey… Jak… I was just kidding. No need to go all suicidal…"

The sword disappeared. "Relax, Dax, I'm kidding." Jak said. "Like I'd really kill myself."

"I don't know… you almost got yourself eaten at that arena." Daxter said.

"That wasn't a suicide attempt." Jak said. "It was a mistake that I took advantage of. The roof of that monster's mouth was unarmored, unlike the rest of it."

"Great One…" Jak looked around. It was the Great Oracle who had spoken.

"What now?" He asked.

"You should listen to Tiatin." The Great Oracle said. "He may be young, but he is wise and powerful in the ways of these troubling times. He knows the game that is being played, and he can teach you the rules."

"I highly doubt this is just a game." Jak said.

"You are right. It was a poor analogy." The Great Oracle said. "But the idea is the same. Tiatin can help you, but only if you trust him. If you don't, he can't help you. You should go to Haven City."

"I'm not going to Haven." Jak said with a tone of finality in his voice.

"Only in Haven will you find the answers to the questions that you seek."

"I don't want answers." Jak said. "I have the feeling that those answers will bring me headache and more pain."

"Yes, there is pain in your future if you follow the path set before you… in Haven, there will be suffering on your part." The Great Oracle paused. "But the same lies in Spargus too. The questions, if left unanswered will drive you insane, wondering what would have happened if you went to Haven… wondering what the answers were. But, only in Haven lies the ultimate goal… I see peace in Haven."

Jak paused. "Finally, you say the magic word. Fame… glory… answers… I've had my fill of them and didn't like it very much. What I really want… is peace."

"You will find your peace." The Great Oracle said. "I see peace in your future… the peace that you desire with all your heart. But to attain that future, you must go to Haven City and learn what it is you have to learn."

Jak sat down on the stone floor to think. On the one hand, he could go to Haven City, earn a butt-load of pain and answers and attain his ultimate goal. And on the other hand, he could hide in Spargus for the rest of his life, forever wondering what waited for him in Haven City until he went mad.

"Dax, what do you think?" Jak asked his friend.

Daxter blinked, surprised that Jak was actually asking for his two-cents when he was usually being shut up. "You want peace, right? Well, it sounds to me like Haven's the place to go. Besides…" Daxter paused, and then attempted to joke. "It's not like you're not used to pain."

Jak didn't say anything for several minutes. Daxter, through some miracle of God, actually managed to keep his big trap shut the whole time. The elf's mind was in turmoil. Could he go back to Haven… should he go back to Haven? If he went, he would be drawn into the New Metal-Head War someway or another. Would the prize be worth enduring the pain? The problem was… he didn't know how bad the pain would be. Dark Eco torture-like pain would never be worth it, but a few wounds were.

Jak sighed. "I pray to the Precursors that I'll survive this." He stood back up. "Jak Mar is going back to Haven City."

"That's great! It's about time you got some sense knocked into you again!" Daxter exclaimed. "So… uh… how do we get back?"

"Great One…" The Oracle began. "Before you is what appears to be a bottomless pit, but I assure you, it has a bottom that is shrouded in a Darkness that even your eyes can not pierce. The floor lies forty feet down. Down there is the fastest way possible back into Haven City." The Oracle's presence disappeared.

Jak looked over the edge of the platform. The pit looked bottomless to him. Daxter also looked over the edge. "Hey, I know a bottomless pit when I see one, and that's a bottomless pit!"

Jak decided that he would test it to make sure it was safe before he jumped into the Darkness. There was a loose stone on the ground some distance away. Jak went over to get it.

Daxter continued to rant. "Even you can't see the bottom… even with your night vision! How can well tell if there's a bottom?"

Jak walked back over, rock in hand. "This way." He tossed the rock into the Darkness, waited a second, and then a noise reached his ears. The sound of something hitting a piece of metal. There was a bottom. "Come on, Dax, it's safe."

"No! This is just another suicide attempt, isn't it?" Daxter asked. "There's no way, you're going to get me to throw myself into a bottomless pit!"

"Dax, don't you trust me?" Jak asked.

"Of course I trust you, just not your reckless behavior." Daxter stared at Jak, who was glaring at him sternly. "That's not a good puppy-dog face, Jak." Jak continued to glare. Finally, Daxter gave in. "Wow, who would've thought that a glare could be more powerful than the puppy-dog pout?"

"Now, let's go." Jak said as Daxter jumped on his shoulder. And then Jak leapt down into the Darkness.

* * *


	22. The Way Back Into Haven

After a rather long fall through the Darkness, Jak landed on some sort of metal floor in the crouched position as to not break his legs. The Darkness still surrounded everything, the Darkness that even Jak's eyes could not pierce.

He stood up, looking around, trying to get some clue as to where he was. Suddenly, the Darkness disappeared and light flooded into the room.

He looked at his surroundings. They were in a large hanger-like room made completely out of Precursor Metal. In the center of the room was the base of the Great Oracle. Jak moved around the large base and saw just how huge the room was. At the far end of the room was a huge hole that lead off into Darkness. Just opposite of the hole sat a strange Precursor made vehicle. Jak walked up to it.

Jak knew that he had seen a hole like this before… and then he remembered. After the Palace fell in Haven City, it uncovered a hole like that, some sort of Precursor-made catacombs. "This looks just like the catacombs I saw in Haven City." He said, looking at the hole. "Is this the way back into Haven?"

Suddenly, a loud squawk sounded from behind him and he spun around, conjuring a large sword, and ready to fight. And then he lowered the weapon when he was who it was.

"Pecker?"

It was Onin's former translator and Damas' current advisor. "Ah… Jak." Pecker said with his ever-present Spanish accent. "I'm so squawking happy I've found you."

"And just how did you find me?" Jak demanded.

"I followed you, of course!" Pecker said. "Onin contacted me. She says that we… well… she said a lot of things (you know her)." Jak glared at the moncaw in a way that said 'get on with it'! Pecker cleared his throat. "Anyway, she says that we must get back to Haven City, and the Catacombs are the way to go. This pipe will dump us out about five miles outside Haven's walls." Pecker landed on the vehicle's control panel and began to stomp on random buttons in an attempt to turn it on. "We only have to turn on this blasted thing and ride it through the Catacombs…"

Jak studied the armored hull of the craft. Etched into the metal was a miniature Seal of Mar. _Maybe it works just like the door._ Jak thought, pulling out his Seal of Mar and holding it up to the vehicle. There was a flash and the vehicle activated, hovering about a foot off the ground. Jak grinned as he put the Seal in his pocket. "You boys ready for a ride?"

"You bet!" Daxter said, jumping into the vehicle.

"I hate riding in flying machines!" Pecker grumbled. "They could fall right out of the sky."

"It would only fall about a foot." Jak pointed out, jumping into the vehicle and strapping himself in. "Come on, Pecker, it could take forever for you to follow us. Remember, we've got about an hour's worth of traveling to do through these Catacombs."

"Augh! Only bad things can come from people trying to imitate flight!"

"Well, it's the best most of us can do." Jak said. "We don't all have wings, you know."

Pecker flapped into the seat next to Daxter and something in Jak told him how the machine operated. He grabbed the steering device and pulled in towards his body and the vehicle moved forward.

The vehicle moved rather slowly at first, slowly picking up speed as it began to head towards the Dark hold. Then they past through the darkness and the vehicle shot forward at an insane speed.

They were in a large tube, and the vehicle was going an insane speeds and, to make matters worse, there were obstacles in the way… it was going to be a crazy ride.

A large pipe, spanning across the tube, popped seemingly out of nowhere and the young elf had to swerve to miss it. That was how they ended up on the roof of the pipe. "What the…?"

They were on the roof of the pipe, but Jak couldn't feel the effects of gravity. While gravity should have been trying to make them fall out of the top of the vehicle, but the force seemed to be still centered underneath them.

This was the most advanced anti-gravity system that Jak had ever seen. Sure, Haven had anti-gravity for just about everything, but none of those systems allowed you to hover off the _ceiling_! And, yet, here they were. Jak quickly maneuvered the Precursor vehicle until it was right side up again.

"That was really weird!" Daxter commented loudly.

Jak didn't answer. He was concentrating on the road ahead. It took all of his reflexes not to crash into anything. A quick glance at the control panel told Jak that they were going several times the speed of sound. A crash at that speed would be deadly.

Suddenly, a wall of Darkness appeared before him and signaled the end of the journey.

As soon as they went through the wall, he slammed on the brakes. The slamming part was rather unnecessary as the vehicle went from many times the speed of sound to a dead stop in a millisecond.

Jak got out of the vehicle, shaking. Traveling that fast really takes it out of you.

Daxter sort of oozed over the side of the vehicle and flopped on the ground. "That was… fast."

"I hate these flying contraptions!" Pecker grumbled as he flopped onto the ground next to Daxter.

Suddenly, a glowing being walked through one of the walls, giving off a distinct aura of happiness, a Precursor 'smile'. It was Tiatin. "I knew you would make the right decision." He said. "You see, Great One? I did not force you. I did not push you. You came on your own, and that is your greatest weapon."

Jak frowned. "I don't understand."

"You will." Tiatin said. "You show great promise, but your bravery and strength alone will not protect you from the foes you will soon face."

"Who are these foes?" Jak asked. "Are they Metal-Heads? I can handle Metal-Heads, even without my ability to control them…"

"You are not the Metal-Head Leader." Tiatin said. "There is one out there, but he is not you."

"But… what about the Metal-Head that killed itself when Jak ordered it to?" Daxter asked.

"The true Leader wants you to believe you are the Metal-Head Leader." Tiatin said. "Those Metal-Heads obeyed you because they were ordered to obey you."

"But… why?" Jak asked. "What's the point?"

"There are many reasons." Tiatin said. "But the most simple and obvious one would be to lead you into a false sense of security, to double-cross you when your back is turned and your guard is down."

"Then who are my real foes?" Jak asked.

"Creatures of Darkness." Tiatin said. "Ones that are even worse and more powerful then the Metal-Heads. They are called the Dark Makers in your language. They are coming, and only you have the power to stop them."

"Why me?" Jak asked. "Why aren't there others who could do it?"

"Only you." Tiatin repeated. "With time, you'll understand." Tiatin moved towards Jak, a glowing hand outstretched. "In the meantime, please accept this Light Power, the gift of protection… for yourself and those you care about. It is… what little I have left to offer you."

Jak nodded. "I accept your gift, Tiatin." He quickly transformed into his Light form. Tiatin placed a hand on Light Jak's forehead. This power took less time to learn than the others. Within a second, Jak could use the power. He pulled away from the Precursor. "I've got to try this."

Within seconds, he had conjured a six-foot diameter shield out of nowhere. It completely protected Jak's body. "Wow! Built-in shield!" Daxter commented.

"My Dark Side is all about offensive maneuvers and violence…" Light Jak said, turning off the shield and changing back into himself. "Is my Light Side about defense?"

"It is." Tiatin said. "In a sword fight, offense and defense balance one another. One who neglects defense will be cut down, but one who never presses their own attack will never win. Our warrior must be such, a creature of perfect balance. Only when you are in balance, will you be at your strongest. Only then… will you be unbeatable."

"Thank you, Tiatin." Jak said.

"I only wish I could do more." Tiatin said. And then he pointed at an elevator that Jak hadn't noticed. "That is the doorway to Haven. Of course, you will have to travel some ways before you have reached Haven. And beware, you have spent far too long in the heat of the desert. The climate may be unbearable."

"Oh no!" Jak looked down at his outfit, which was clearly more suited to keep cool in the burning desert. "I'll freeze!"

"Should've brought a jacket." Daxter commented.

"You will not freeze." Tiatin said. "It will only be uncomfortable for a little while."

"Uncomfortable?" Jak demanded. "For months, I've lived in a hundred and twenty degree weather! How can I go back to seventy degree weather?"

"The same way you got used to the climate of the Wasteland." Tiatin said. "Good luck, Great One." And then the Precursor disappeared.

Jak looked at the elevator. "This is going to suck… royally suck."

"Got that right." Daxter said. "Even I'm not looking forward to this."

"Well, we can't stay down here forever. We've got to go up sometime." He walked over to the elevator and walked on to it. It moved up automatically. It stopped at the top and a small door opened. This let in a blast of seventy degree air that was, in Jak's opinion, nothing short of freezing.

"Oh shit!" Jak swore as the cold air hit him. He wrapped his arms around himself in an attempt to keep warm. He then let out a long stream of colorful words in no particular order.

"You can say that again." Daxter said as he shivered.

Jak, still trying to keep himself warm, moved out into the environment.

"What are we?" Daxter asked, looking around. They appeared to be in some old mine.

"It's an old Eco mine." Jak said, his teeth chattering. "When Mar built Haven City, he must've carved out these old mines to get at the Eco power."

"Sheesh!" Daxter scoffed. "That Mar guy must've never slept much."

"Probably." Jak said. "There were probably a thousand and one things he had to do… building a City… being the Greatest Hero of all time… being King…" Jak mused.

Pecker landed on one of the railings that would stop someone from falling into empty space. If you fell, you'd have a long time to wave good-bye before you splatted on the rocks below. "I'm going to fly ahead and tell Onin we're back."

"Abandoning us already?" Jak asked.

"Just think of it as a valid use of my fight or flight instinct. In this case: flight!" Pecker said. "You watch your tail feathers, Jak. This is a spooky place." With that, Pecker flew off to the south, in Haven's general direction.

Jak shivered as a cruel breeze passed over him. "Great." He said with very little enthusiasm.

* * *

After walking several miles, and fighting off dozens of Metal-Heads… (It appeared that whoever really controlled them now knew that Jak knew that he wasn't the Metal-Head Leader, so there was no point to pretending) and finding some another piece of Mar's armor (greaves which protected his shins with the same unbreakable Precursor metal as his bracers) Jak reached a large door that opened without complaint when he flashed the Seal of Mar at it.

Inside the door was a large room with a platform in the center, surrounded by air, and a door on the far side of the room. Jak knew that the door led into Haven City.

The stone walls all around him were covered in carvings that depicted the Creation Epic.

Jak crossed a wooden bridge that led to the platform. The door slammed shut behind him, catching the bridge and disintegrating it just as Jak stepped off. Jak paused, and looked back at just how close he had come to falling into the abyss below. Then he heard the small door opening just across the gap on the other side of the room. He looked around and growled. His welcoming party was none other than Count Veger.

"The monks told me that someone was coming in through the Precursor sub-rails, but I never imagined it was you." He hissed. "So, you are quite the survivor, aren't you. How long was it? Three… four months?" Jak growled loudly, but didn't answer. "Those sub-rails are interesting, aren't they? The Precursors used those Catacombs to build the world countless eons ago. The rail system leads deep into the planet where its said that the Ancient Ones wait to bestow unimaginable powers upon the worthy!" Veger paused, glancing lovingly at the scepter that he held. "I will save the world with that power, just as Mar once did. Pure light will rule the universe, and I will be the bright light that shines to every corner of the world and destroys all shadows!"

Jak blinked. "Ah…" Daxter began. "Excuse me… Count Vulgar…"

"It's Veger!" The Count corrected angrily.

"Right, whatever." Daxter said airily, like he just didn't care. "Isn't it nice just to curl up in the shade sometimes? Just chillin' it, watching the babes prance around in their skimpy little bikinis, you know, just how they… jiggle?" Daxter pointed downwards. "I always get the special tingly feeling in my… _tail_."

"Enough!" Veger yelled, annoyed. "I will be the one to save the world, not a tainted Dark Eco Freak like you!"

"You will save the world?" Jak almost laughed. "Well, you've done a great job so far, letting the Metal-Heads destroy the Palace. No self-respecting hero would have allowed that to happen."

"Oh no, you couldn't be more mistaken." Veger said coolly, and then he started to speak with even more pathos. "We're on a time clock, Jak! That light in the sky, do you know what it is? Our nightmares have found us, and the end is coming! I needed quick access to the Catacombs below the Palace, so I attacked the Palace myself. It will be our little secret."

"Well, you're full of surprises." Jak said.

"And you're full of Dark Eco!" Veger hissed. "You and your rat are abominations! You have been allowed to wreak havoc on this world for far too long and now I'll start the cleansing of this world with you're demise!" Veger turned his back on Jak, his arms spread wide as he faced a large statue of a Precursor Robot. "Behold! I now command the very power of the Ancient Ones!"

There was a loud explosion and Jak covered his face as the rock flew everywhere. He looked just as the dust cleared and he gasped. It was a Precursor Robot, something he hadn't seen since he was seventeen. It seemed the 'statue' wasn't a statue at all, but a real Precursor Robot encased in stone. Jak knew that the Ancient Robots were near impossible to destroy.

Veger calmly turned to leave. "This time, the Precursors won't have mercy on you." He looked at the Robot. "Kill him."

The Robot pulled out a laser sword that had to be at least twenty feet long and whirled the blade menacingly. Veger grinned and left, the door slamming shut behind him.

Jak knew that it would be near impossible to destroy the pure Precursor Robot. The Robot was made entirely out of the Precursor Metal, indestructible. The only reason Jak had won his fight with the last Precursor Robot was by taking advantage of Gol and Maia's alterations, which were done in plain steel, and by using a Light Eco blast to finish off the Robot. Jak didn't think he could create blast like that again. What he needed was more time to think.

More time! The Robot swung its sword upwards to bring it down on its prey. Within a second Jak transformed into Light Jak and stopped time. The sword stopped about half a foot above Jak's head. Daxter's mouth was frozen in a silent scream.

Jak stared at the laser sword, which had come a bit too close to comfort for him. "Thank the Precursors for the power to stop time." He breathed.

But he still had to destroy the Robot somehow. An act that he last preformed over five hundred years ago with more than a little bodily harm to himself. Even though his abilities had improved during the time-travel enhanced time, an angry Precursor Robot intent on killing you was nothing to sneeze at.

The young elf moved out from under Daxter, still frozen in time, and gazed around the environment, looking for something that would give him an edge. He looked above the robot and grinned. There were several carts hanging half off some rails above its head and, even better, they were filled with explosives. Perhaps there was enough to blow the Precursor Robot to pieces.

The elf turned around and took Daxter out of thin air and set him down on the ground. "Stay there." Jak said, even though he was fully aware that his friend could not hear him.

He turned and raced at the robot, still frozen in time, and leapt at it. Sailing over thin air, Jak hit the robot and clung to the joints in the smooth metal armor. Using handhold after handhold, he scaled the robot with the agility and speed of an over-sized squirrel.

Once he reached a place that was high enough, and close enough for him to leap, he launched himself from the robot, caught the edge of the railing, and easily pulled himself up by the cart.

He studied the cart. A single push would do it. He felt the time stop start to weaken, the laser sword gained inch by inch on the place that he formally occupied. With a silent prayer to the Precursors, Jak let the power slip away, and he changed back to normal.

The time stop disappeared and Daxter resumed screaming as the laser sword traveled downwards. However, it appeared that the robot had quick reflexes. The laser sword stopped a mere millimeters away from Daxter's nose. The rodent stared cross-eyed at the weapon that had come so close to shish-kabobing him. And then he promptly fainted.

The Ancient but deadly robot looked around, trying to find its prey and spotted the target on a small ledge by a cart. The robot's mechanical mind didn't question how the target managed to get up there in a nanosecond. It just took note of the target's apparent ability to teleport and resumed its attack.

It raised its huge sword and was about to cut through Jak.

But Jak was ready for it. He pushed the explosive-laden cart off into the abyss and straight on the robot's head.

With an all-mighty bang that seemed to shake the world, the explosives exploded and the robot fell into the darkness below. Jak looked over the edge into the Darkness to see if the robot was destroyed.

An answer came a second later, the robot appeared out of the Darkness, and it seemed completely unharmed. Jak frowned angrily. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw another explosives cart next to him. The Precursor robot hummed and at least six independently targeting lasers popped out of the robot's back. All six aimed in Jak's general direction. His battle-hardened mind instantly calculated where each beam was going to go and he twisted into a strange position that would have made a yoga-master green with envy.

The lasers fired, and the bulk of them missed, but one did graze his arm, drawing blood.

He twisted out of his almost pretzel-like position as the pain stung his arm, but he wouldn't allow himself to be distracted by a dumb little cut that was already healing. The lasers aimed again and Jak leapt for the next cart, and pushed it onto the Precursor Robot's head.

The cart exploded and the stunned robot fell into the Darkness. It popped back up again several seconds later, but now it was significantly damaged. In fact, most of the armor that covered its head was gone, revealing the insides of the robot was not made from Precursor Metal, but regular steel. But the robot was not finished yet. While a biological creature might have given up and died, the robot didn't even understand the concept of 'giving up'.

It pulled out the laser sword again, but this time it split into two identical laser swords. It swung both of the weapons down at Jak.

The elf instinctively conjured a Dark Eco sword. He dodged the first blow and attempted to block the second one. However, the laser sword traveled through the weapon as if it were only air and sliced Jak's face, straight down the right side of his face… a little deeper and he could have lost his eye.

Jak leapt back and tried to clear his vision as his own blood leaked into his eye, blinding him. The Dark Sword was useless to block. The laser sword could cut through it like it wasn't even there.

There was one last, daring chance. Jak, still partially blinded by his own blood, leapt at the monster robot and landed on its head. Before the robot had a chance to try and shake off its target, the elf jammed his weapon straight into the robot's head. And, while robots don't have brains, they do have central processing units. And it happened that the Dark Eco weapon sliced right through it.

And, just as a biological creature cannot live without its brain, a robot could not function without its CPU. The Precursor Robot wavered in mid-air, and then crashed down on the platform below, disintegrating into a thousand parts.

Daxter came too just in time to watch Jak emerge from the robot's wreckage, a still healing cut on his face, the Dark weapon held loosely at his side. A light shone from an unknown source, illuminating the conquering warrior. Daxter stared. To his eyes, his friend looked extremely heroic, and the little rodent was in awe.

And then Jak had to ruin the picture by opening his mouth. "Damn Precursor Robots." He hissed, kicking it for good measure. "How I hate these fucking things." This statement reminded the rodent that his friend wasn't a hero anymore, but a warrior.

"Jak!" Daxter roared. "You ruined the moment!"

Jak glared at Daxter, a gaze that was partially confused, but mostly a warning. "What moment?"

"That there!" Daxter gestured to the scene in front of him. "Jak… emerging for the wreckage of his vanquished foe… the sword hanging loosely at his side… and unknown light illuminating…" Daxter trailed off at the look on Jak's face. "If was like… you looked very heroic."

Jak dropped the Dark weapon, it clattered to the ground and disappeared in a flash of Dark light. His face was unreadable. Daxter knew better than anyone that Jak hated being reminded of the hero he once was.

 _'I believe that you are still that hero.'_ Light said helpfully. _'You have merely forgotten.'_

 _Thank you._ Jak thought back. _But you're wrong. I haven't forgotten… I remember. It's not my memory… not this time. The hero died in prison. Everyone realizes that… why not you?_

 _'Because you are still that hero.'_ Light said.

Jak shut out the thoughts of Light. He didn't blame him for having hope, it was in his nature… just as it had once been in his nature to be the hero that everyone expected him to be.

He looked across the pit towards the door. "Haven is right through that door." He said. "Let's go topside and see what kind of trouble we can get into." He grabbed Daxter and leapt clear across the pit, landing safely on the other side. "Beware, Haven. This banished warrior has returned, and he's looking to kick some ass!"

Without looking back, he walked through the door and it shut behind him.


	23. The Reunion... Almost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Act 2: THE FIGHT FOR THE CITY

The door led to an elevator. The duo stepped onto it and it moved up into Haven City. The chilled air reminded him that he wasn't in the desert anymore. Sure it was summer and people in Haven considered it hot, but to the desert warrior, it was freezing.

The door opened and Jak knew instantly where he was. He was in what remained of Main Town, which had been partially destroyed with the destruction of the stadium and the collapse of the Palace support cables. Rubble lay everywhere, and the place appeared to be deserted.

He stepped out into the destruction of what was once the center of Haven life. Jak walked through the familiar streets, his arms around his chest to keep himself warm. He walked in southern direction, eyes ever alert for any sort of threat. And, incidentally, while he was looking for threats, he missed the things he should've been looking for.

Daxter sighed, looking at the collapsed cable which was all that remained of the Palace support cable. "This place looks as bad as my old bedroom back home." He commented dryly.

Suddenly, a familiar and highly welcome voice called his name. "Jak! Jak! Over here!"

Jak looked around, joy written on his face. Samos and Keira were standing only a few feet away. "Samos! Keira!" Jak yelled, running over, before coming to an abrupt halt. A nearly invisible force field stood between himself and the two people that he cared about more than anyone else, Samos, his sort of father-figure, and Keira, his girlfriend. Jak looked at Keira, who looked sad and he knew why. He wanted more than anything to hold her, but that just wasn't possible when they were on separate sides of a force field. Even he couldn't get past a force field.

"Ah, Samos," Daxter quipped. "Still as green as the stuff between my toes."

"You see, Keira?" Samos said to his daughter. "I knew I could still feel Jak's energy from afar. My boy, you have no idea happy I am to see you alive and in good condition."

"I'm fine, Samos… just a little cold… nothing serious." Jak said.

"Cold?" Keira spoke for the first time. "But it's summer!"

"Believe me, after you've lived in a hundred and twenty degree weather for four months, you'd think it was cold too." Jak attempted to laugh. "Say, you two wouldn't have a jacket or something that you could toss over this thing."

"I'm afraid not, my boy." Samos said. "Things are going terrible for us. The Palace area is under constant attack and Torn, along with a few hundred guards, are trapped in the Port area. Those passageways below the Palace must be terribly important. Both the Metal-Heads and the KG bots are advancing towards them, and we can't stop them on our own."

"So… the City needs me again?" Jak asked, rolling his eyes. "What else is new?" He asked sarcastically.

"Don't joke about this." Samos scolded. "Veger has turned on the force fields here. They are the only thing protecting us from the Metal-Heads."

At the mention of Veger, Jak remembered the conversation he had with the bitter old man below Haven. "I just saw Veger. He's the one who attacked the Palace! He said he was looking for something below… something in the Catacombs…"

"Well, you're going to have to find out whatever it is before he does." Samos said. "And speaking of Veger…" Samos paused.

Keira took over. "Jak, we're sorry about what happened. _I'm_ sorry for what happened. I know that you're innocent. We… should have tried to stop Veger."

Jak's hands curled into fists until he drew blood. He glared angrily at the Dark Eco-laced blood. "I'll stop him myself."

"Jak, listen to me." Samos said. 'The best way to reach us is by using the sewers to go south. Reach the port and join up with Torn at the Naughty Ottsel. Together, you should find a way north to reach us." Samos paused. "Good luck, my boy." And then he walked away.

Jak stared at Keira, and she stared back at him. Even though no words were exchanged, Daxter got the point that they wanted to be alone to talk. Without a word, Daxter jumped off Jak's shoulder and walked just far enough away that he wouldn't be able to hear what was discussed.

Keira rested her hand against the force field and Jak put his own hand against it. A burning rage filled him. A single layer of atoms separated him from the woman he loved. It seemed almost cruel.

Keira saw the look on his face, the look of useless anger. "Don't worry. We'll be together again soon."

"But you're right here!" Jak said angrily. "It's a crime that you are so close… yet I can't even touch you!"

"That's why you have to find a way here." Keira said. "The sooner you find a way through South Town, the sooner we can be together again." Keira paused. "I've missed you, Jak."

Jak cursed the Gods for the situation. He wanted more than anything to comfort her, but the shield made that impossible. "I've missed you too, Keira." Jak said. "I thought of you every moment. I swear that I'll find a way to you even if I have to tear this City down."

There was silence for several seconds while they just looked deeply into each other's eyes. "You've changed." Keira suddenly said.

Jak winched. Those were the same words she spoke to him a year ago, last time she meant it as a bad thing.

Keira saw the look on Jak's face. "No, I mean in a good way. Your eyes… they are softer than before… the opposite of what I expected. After four months in the desert, I expected you to harden, but that didn't happen."

"I haven't gotten softer, but Lighter." Jak said with a knowing smile.

Keira suddenly grew stern. "Jak, you hurry up and find a way here, or so help me, I'll hunt you down!" And then she held her face a centimeter away from the force field, and Jak put his own face closer to the force field. "I love you, Jak."

"I love you too." Jak breathed. If it were not for the force field, they most definitely would have kissed. But that was not possible. Jak pulled away first and backed away from the force field. "I'll find you again, Keira, I promise." With that, he turned and walked away.

Tears ran down Keira's face as she watched the one that she loved leave. She felt it was cruel that the only thing that had separated was one force field, a single layer of atoms. "I know you'll find me." She whispered. "You always do."

* * *

Daxter rejoined Jak as he walked away from the force field, but he didn't question Jak on what was said. He could guess that it included several 'I miss you's and 'I love you's.

Jak wouldn't allow himself to dwell on the previous conversation. He could not allow his emotions to over run him. Once that happened, either he'd die, or lots of other people would die, depending on the emotion in question.

If he remembered the layout of the sewers correctly, there would be an entrance nearby. It only took a minute or two of shifting some heavy rubble to expose the entrance to the sewers.

The young elf and the rodent remembered the sewers in only the worst light. The entire place smelled of crap, for obvious reasons, and Jak's enhanced sense of smell only made things worse. The smell was bad enough to give him a monster headache and even make him pass out in the worst salutations.

To protect him from the overwhelming smell, he pulled his old scarf up over his nose much like he did in the Wasteland desert. "Well," Jak said, his voice slightly muffled by the scarf. "Let's just get this over with. Precursors, I hate these sewers."

* * *

After at least an hour of tromping through Precursors know what, they arrived at an elevator that Jak estimated was close to the Port. He walked into the elevator and it moved up into the City.

The doors opened and Jak expected there to be screaming and cross-fire, but it was actually pretty quiet. The only sound to be heard was the sound of fire and several patrolling blue armored Freedom League Guards. Jak walked out of the elevator and recognized where he was instantly.

They were in the Port, on the road that once led to the Palace. Jak looked to the left and found that the way was blocked by still smoldering rubble. "Kinda gloomy, ain't it?" Daxter asked.

Jak had to agree. The soldiers were walking on their patrols like zombies. Most didn't even notice him, and those that did showed no sign of recognizing the banished freak. All life seemed to be sucked out of the guards. "God… they're just… shells." Jak observed.

"Let's go to the Naughty Ottsel." Daxter said. "Old Log In The Head said Torn would be there."

"Fine." Jak headed off towards the bar. The mood seemed to be contagious. Jak shivered again against the cold and the feeling of dread that he got when he looked at the hollow, dead men.

It was only a short walk until the large Daxter mannequin came into view. Jak rolled his eyes. Daxter may be his best friend, but that didn't mean that he couldn't think the rat was a bit full of himself. A ten-foot mannequin? Who built something like that of yourself… besides the late Baron?

"Ah… the Naughty Ottsel…" Daxter sighed. "Honey, I'm home."

Jak walked into the bar and instantly noticed that everything was different. It wasn't a bar anymore, it looked more like the old Underground Hideout. Even the picture of Erol with the rude writing on it was hanging on the wall. Torn stood in the center of the room by a hologram communicator. He looked terrible. He looked thin and sickly, there were dark circles under his eyes and a serious five o'clock shadow on his chin. He looked up wearily. "What now?" He paused when he saw Jak. "Jak?" He asked, like he couldn't believe what he was seeing, or that he was seeing a ghost. "Jak? I never thought I'd see you again."

"Torn?" Daxter demanded, looking around the bar. "What have you done to my place?"

"We needed a Southern HQ for the war." Torn said. "Besides, I kind of like the Ottsel mannequin outside."

Daxter folded his arms over his chest proudly. "Yeah it's cool, huh?"

Torn showed the shadow of a smile. "We use it for target practice."

Jak smiled and held back a chuckle. "Hey!" Daxter yelled. "That thing cost me a fortune!"

Torn turned to Jak. "But… Ashelin told me that you weren't coming back to the City…"

"Changed my mind." Jak said.

"Listen, Jak, we're sorry we couldn't stop Count Veger… we all are." Torn said.

"I just saw Veger on my way into the City." Jak said. "He's trying to use Precursor technology for... something."

"That figures." Torn said. "That guy always was one monk short of a choir." Then Torn slammed his fists down on the holographic projector. "We've got bigger problems now then the plots of a mad man. Veger sent us on a suicide attack into the Port, but we got cut off. Several force fields stand between us and the way back to Freedom HQ. Our forces are divided and the KG and Metal-Head fronts are squeezing us on all sides!"

"Never fear, the trouble twins are here!" Daxter said, bowing elegantly.

The hologram flashed and a map of the Port appeared. Three dots flashed on the map. "Oh, speaking of trouble…" Torn said, looking at the information that appeared on the hologram. A large, jerky KG Blast Bot appeared in the air. "We've got three Blast Bots coming in from the KG city section, they're heading this way!" He looked at Jak. "Do you think you can handle it, Jak?"

Jak was about to answer when Daxter interrupted. "Okay, so we've got a little fear, but Jak is here." Jak blinked.

Then, without another word, Jak turned and walked out.


	24. The Dead Resurrected

After destroying the three Blast Bots, Jak walked into the bar to find Torn at the hologram, trying to contact Ashelin. "Ashelin? Ashelin? Can you read me? Jak's back in the City!"

Suddenly, Ashelin's holographic form appeared and she looked at Jak. "Jak? You came back? I knew that I could count on you."

Torn laughed. "With Jak back in the City, the new KG leader's probably pissing in his…" Suddenly, Ashelin's image began to flash in and out. Torn jumped forward and inspected the controls. "Someone's jamming the signal. I think…"

Suddenly, a face became clearer. Jak gasped as he recognized who it was. The face was so familiar, and yet so different. "Erol!" Jak gasped.

"I live!" Erol's form said, laughing. "I see you're still fighting for the weak link, eh Jak?"

"How the fuck did you survive?" Jak demanded.

"Ah, you see, when the Dark Eco exploded, I was in pain… a lot of it. I thought I had died. But _they_ saved me. They changed me until I could handle Dark Eco as you do."

"You're a Channeler?" Jak asked. He was understandably upset, when Erol had constantly called him a freak, a weapon, something not Elvin for being a Channeler.

"No, actually. I was born completely normal, not a Channeling freak like yourself." Erol said.

"Genetic alteration." Jak said.

"I don't presume to understand the technology of the Greatest beings in the universe." Erol said. "You see, even the Metal-Heads and you have your biological weakness, the one flaw in our weapon design, but I'm made out of pure metal and Dark Eco! I'd love to meet you again…" With that, Erol's face disappeared.

A hologram of Samos appeared. "We must unite our forces or we're through. You've got to reach us, Jak." He said as though nothing had happened.

Ashelin's hologram joined Samos' "The KG Bots are getting stronger. That floating war factory of theirs is spitting out more Death Bots every day." Ashelin and Samos disappeared.

Torn shook his head, thinking about Erol's return. "That bastard's back."

Jak glared at the hologram where Erol's face had been. "That's a crime in itself. But… even if they managed to genetically alter him, how could _they_ do it that fast. Erol should have been dead in an instant!"

"Who is 'they'?" Torn demanded, and then he sighed. "But we can worry about this later. We've got to find a way to break through their defenses." He paused. "You know… there is a missile, but it has no guidance system. If there is someone small, pointy, and too stupid to feel pain in our ranks to guide the missile… they could fly it into the crudely constructed force field."

As one, the two men looked down at Daxter. Daxter realized this several seconds later. He looked from Jak, to Torn, and then back at Jak. "What are you looking at me for?" He demanded.

"Well, you are small, pointy, and too stupid to feel pain." Jak pointed out.

"I am not stupid!" Daxter yelled. "But… being the heroic sort of animal that I am…"

"So, you up for a little rumble, Dax?" Jak asked.

"Fish in a barrel, baby!" Daxter said. "Fish in a barrel!"

"The missile's outside at 1300 hours." Torn said, looking up at the clock. "Ten minutes. Be prepared by then."

"You guys haven't touched my room, right?" Jak asked.

"Of course not." Torn said, then he added in an undertone when Jak left to the back rooms. "Everyone is much too frightened to go in there."

Jak walked into his old room that he hadn't seen in months. He was pleased to see that it was just the way he left it… although there was a lot of dust, proving that no one had been in the room since Jak left. The room was exactly the way it had been before his arrest.

So began the hunt. Jak dug through the general mess of things. Then, after several minutes, he found the object of his search. It was the old leather trench coat that he used to wear; now it would keep him slightly warm.

With a swirl, Jak put the coat on. It was a less-than-perfect fit, but it was doable. The black Yakkow leather had the effect of turning him from a slightly heroic-looking elf into a punk criminal.

"Having a relapse into the criminal life, are we?" Daxter asked.

"Dax, it's not the clothes that make the criminal… it's how many laws you've broken." Jak said.

"And… in your case… all of 'em." Daxter said.

"Hey, I don't think I've broken _all_ the laws!" Jak defended himself.

"You keep thinking that." Daxter said.

"Have you even thought about how you're going to survive flying a missile into a force field?" Jak asked.

"Jakkie-Boy… you've known me for years." Daxter said. "Have you ever seen me show that kind of foresight?" He asked.

Jak laughed. "Now that you mention it… I haven't."

"The 'happy-go-lucky' attitude prevails!" Daxter said. "I plan to ride that thing, and then decide what to do before I crash." Daxter said.

Jak laughed on the outside, but on the inside he was still worried. The times when he had been reckless was when he had almost gotten himself… not to mention other people killed. Having no foresight in a dangerous situation is basically signing your own death warrant.

"I wonder where my Tessie is." Daxter wondered. Jak looked down at him. "I hope she got out of here all right."

Jak stared at Daxter, unsure of how to best handle the situation. "I'm sure she got out. She was a member of the Underground. She must be a lot tougher than she looks… I mean… all the other spineless people in Haven."

"What's happening to me?" Daxter asked suddenly.

"What's wrong?" Jak asked, worried that his little friend was sick or something.

"I don't know." Daxter said. "I have this really bad feeling in the pit of my stomach."

Jak blinked, and blinked, and blinked again. Was Daxter saying what he thought he was saying? He himself had felt that feeling more times than he could count over the past year. "Oh my God…" Jak gasped, unable to absorb the truth. It was simply too far-fetched.

"What? What?" Daxter demanded. "I'm not going to die, am I?"

"I think…" Jak rasped, for his mouth and throat had gone really dry from shock. "I think you _really_ care about Tess!"

"Really care?" Daxter asked.

"The way that I care for Keira!"

"What… I want to have sex with her? I didn't need you to tell me that." Daxter said.

"No! It's not about the sex, it's about…" Jak searched for the word. "The connection."

"Are you… saying… what I think you're saying?" Daxter demanded. "Are you saying I… love her?"

Jak laughed out loud. "You said it, Daxter, not me."

"No, wait, that can't be right…" Daxter said. "And even if I weren't famous for being a swinger, that is against the effing laws of nature!"

"Falling in love is by chance, not choice." Jak said. "Believe me, I know. I mean, who would believe that Jak Mar, formerly banished and Haven's Most Wanted Criminal of all Time would fall in love? But it did happen, didn't it? And who would believe that a woman as perfect a Keira would love me back?"

"Stop it, Jak, you're getting all mushy."

"But it's true." Jak said. "If it can happen to a murderer freak like me, it can happen to you too."

"Stop it!" Daxter said. "It happened to you because you and Keira are practically Soul-Mates! I won't fall victim to the 'love disease'!"

Jak laughed sarcastically. "It's time for you to go play 'Ride the Missile'."

"Bring it on!" Daxter said.

* * *

Jak walked out of the Naughty Ottsel and over to the small missile that was set up on a portable launch pad. One of the Freedom League Guards took a step away from Jak and saluted. "Missile is aimed, sir."

Jak almost didn't know how to handle the situation. The Guard was looking at him with a mixture of fear and respect, the sort of one gave a higher-ranking officer.

"Were you ever in the Krimzon Guard?" Jak asked.

"No, sir." The Guard said politely, as though afraid that if he didn't show respect, Jak would disembowel him.

"Then you don't have to worry about me." Jak assured the Guard. "The only people I kill intentionally these days are Baron-loyalists and Marauders. Oh… but… don't call me 'sir'. I'm not your superior in age or rank."

"Yessir… I mean… I won't." The Guard said awkwardly.

"Good." Jak said, and then mainly to himself. "Damn titles."

Daxter was already situating himself on the top of the missile. "One busted force field, comin' up!"

Jak jumped on a zoomer and looked at Daxter. "I'll meet you over there. Be careful, and make sure that I'm not picking up pieces." With that, Jak took off in hopes of beating Daxter to the barrier on the other side of the Port.

"All systems go." The Freedom Guard said. "We have a green light. Target selected…" Then the Guard pressed the button and the missile launched with a loud scream from Daxter as he clung to the metal for dear life.

* * *

Jak made it to the force field in question first. He stopped the zoomer and jumped off it, eying the force field. It was crudely constructed, but that didn't mean it wasn't effective. It was red in color and it rose twenty feet in the air.

Then the sound of a scream hit his ears and he spun around. Daxter was coming at the force field full speed.

Seconds before impact, Jak turned his face away from the explosion to avoid getting shrapnel in his face. He was unable to see if his friend made it or not. None of the small pieces of shrapnel hit him. Then he felt a sharp, terrible pain blossom in his stomach.

Jak got the most terrible feeling of deja vu. He looked down, almost too afraid to look down.

What he saw made him sick. A huge chunk of metal had embedded itself in his stomach, going in through the front, all the way through his body, and out his back, by the feel of it. Jak could do nothing but stare at it. He was painfully aware that it was the same type of fatal wound that he dreamed the Metal-Head Leader would give him.

In his dreams, it was always fatal. The pain of the wound hit him and Jak let out a cry of pain, and he knew his dreams were right. This wound was not one that he'd just walk away from… a fatal wound.

The elf sank to his knees with the real realization that this was it. He had cheated death so many times, and now he was going to die in the same way that fate predicted he would long ago.

He grabbed onto the metal with the thought of at least getting it out of his body, but he found he lacked the strength or the will to remove it.

His vision was going dark. In the distance, he thought he heard someone calling his name. "Jak! Jak… Ja…" The voice faded in his ears.

"So… this is what it feels like to die?" Jak whispered, mainly to himself. "It's not so bad… not like before…" With that, Jak lost the last of his strength and he fell on his side, as to not disturb the metal in his body and cause last-minute pain.

And then he passed out from the pain and blood loss.

Daxter, who had survived the blast by leaping off the missile at the last second, was loosing his mind. It only took one look at the huge piece of metal that skewered Jak to know that his friend would not get back up… would never get back up.

"Jak! Don't you dare leave us like this!" Daxter yelled, completely hysterical. He couldn't believe it. He was the one that was supposed to be safe on this mission! He wasn't supposed to receive the wound that would kill him!

* * *

Inside Jak's shutting-down mind, he was having flashbacks of his life, as most do when they are dying.

Only one thing existed in the space that belonged to his earliest years, and it wasn't even a full memory. It was a song… a lullaby. But it was all that he remembered with any clarity. The song rang through Jak's dying mind, but with no picture to accompany the words or to show who was singing it:

"From the time when I was young

I prayed for a child to call my own

But now that the day has come to me

I wish it wasn't so

It's not that I don't love you,

My precious baby boy

But what the fates have planned for you

It rips my heart in two

How could the Fates be so cruel

To take my little boy?"

The song faded from his mind just as quickly as it had come and his mind fast forwarded to times that he could more fully remember.

He remembered being eleven years old and at the local Precursor Temple of Sandover. The only orate thing in the simple building was the stone alter that had been carved hundreds of years ago by their ancestors. It had carvings on it, depicting the Precursors from various legends.

Jak, a young silent Jak, walked up to the alter and ran a hand over the carvings. Then he dropped to his knees before it, praying to the Precursors for the one thing that he wanted more than anything else… the ability to overcome his muteness and communicate with people in the normal fashion. The young elf laid his forehead against the cold stone as silent tears ran down his face.

Suddenly, he felt something touch his shoulder, a touch that was like a butterfly's. Jak looked over his shoulder and saw green eyes and teal hair. Keira had snuck up on him!

The young elf was suddenly painfully aware of the tears that ran down his face. He turned away from the young she-elf in shame.

"Jak…" Keira knelt down besides him. "Why do you weep?"

Jak wanted more than anything to open his mouth and tell her that everything was all right. One could lie with a voice, but not your face. He simply turned away from her. It was worse enough that she had found him, crying like a little kid.

"Please, Jak, don't turn away." She said. "I want to help you. Whatever it is… I want to help you."

The scene faded as another replaced it. He was seventeen now. He recognized the scene instantly. It was on top of the Silos, after he had defeated Gol and Maia's Precursor Robot. Jak hadn't even heard what the Sages were talking about.

Keira had led him off to the side. She embraced him and he returned the embrace, so happy were they that he was still alive. "I'm so happy you're all right!" She said. "I was worried for a while, but… oh, Jak, I'm just so glad you're alive!"

Jak smiled at Keira's words. Without any conscious thought, he pulled Keira closer to himself. Keira looked up at him, confused at first, and then she smiled. The couple leaned in to kiss… And then the memory was interrupted before it could show the rather disastrous outcome of that attempt to kiss Keira.

What followed was a long string of memories, except they were only happy memories. Nothing from prison came to his mind. And most of the scenes seemed to involve his loved ones, especially Keira. Their first kiss… the night before his predestined death date… the last few months they had spent in each other's company…

Suddenly, Jak pulled himself out of the darkness and eternal sleep of death. He couldn't allow himself to die! He had so much to live for! He had Keira, Precursors, he couldn't leave her behind!

With supreme force of will, the elf forced himself back into consciousness. The pain of his wound hit him and he cried out.

Daxter, who had been crying his eyes out ever since Jak had stopped breathing a minute before, looked up in alarm. "Jak? You're alive?" He had never expected his friend to open his eyes again.

Jak ignored him, sat up, and grit his teeth. He had to live! He grabbed onto the metal that went through his abdomen and tugged on it in an attempt to get it out of his stomach. The slightest movement hurt so much that it made him sick, but he knew the only chance he had was to get the foreign object out.

He growled as he tugged, and the metal gave about an inch. The sensation of metal sliding against tissue and organs was nauseating.

Daxter watched, transfixed, as his friend worked to pull the huge piece of metal out of his stomach. He had never seen his friend so focused and determined on a single task. Then Daxter realized that Jak wanted to live, with all his heart, mind, and body. There was no other reason to torture his near-dead body.

Another groan of pain and the shrapnel disappeared into his back, the skin closed up swiftly behind it. Then he continued to work on the metal, ignoring everything outside of the metal lodged in his body and the pain it caused from trying to remove it.

Slowly, but surely, the metal gave inch by painful inch. Only one thought remained above the pain. _I've got to live! I've got to live for my loved ones!_

Finally, after several agonizing minutes and with a loud roar from Jak, the metal came free. It was huge, jagged, and covered with Jak's blood. It would have easily killed anyone without the Channeler's iron-hard will.

The skin and organs that had been virtually destroyed by the metal started to heal instantly. It was only then, when he knew that the deadly shrapnel was out and that he was healing did he allow himself to slip back into the darkness and pass out.

* * *

Sometime later, Jak woke up out of the darkness. He couldn't see very clearly yet. "Wher…" He paused, trying to get his voice to work. "Where am I?"

A familiar voice answered. "You're back in the Naughty Ottsel, and you're lucky to be here." Jak's vision cleared, it was Torn. "You were clinically dead for over a minute."

"Wow…" Jak rubbed his forehead. "I've almost died more times than I can count, but I've never actually died before."

"And, what's stranger, is that I've never heard of anyone coming back from the afterlife through sheer force of will." Torn said. "What's the matter? You saw Heaven and found it not to you're liking?"

"Nah. I went the other way and met the devil… nice guy." Jak said. "It was really nice in hell, all the fire reminded me of the Wasteland."

"He has the ability to joke. He's gonna be okay." Another familiar voice said. It was Daxter. "So, what was the afterlife really like?"

"It wasn't that great…" Jak said with a small smile. "But there were all the topless women…"

"Topless women?" Daxter asked, drooling.

"Oh yeah, and they were all over me." Jak said. And then he saw the look on Daxter's face. "Dax, I'm kidding. I didn't see any topless women. My life passed in front of my eyes, but that's about it."

"Realize that you're going to be famous now." Torn said. "Our Guards always wonder about death because of their occupation. And it's rare for someone to come back. People are going to be asking you questions."

"Great." The Dark Elf said sarcastically. "That's just what I need, more attention. One of your men kept calling me 'sir' like I'd kill him if he called me anything else."

"Oh, and I want you to stay in here for a day." Torn said.

"What?" Jak demanded, sitting up. "A day? I'm fine! I don't have healing powers for nothing, you know!"

"Undoubtedly. But if you weren't fine, I'd make you stay longer. You died, Jak! Do you know what that means? Your heart stopped and your breathing stopped! It's only by a miracle that you came back! If I could, I'd keep you in here for a week!"

"There's no way!" Jak yelled. "I'm fine! It's not like last year when I was sick half the time anyway!"

"Don't make us have to restrain you. We still have those Precursor Metal handcuffs." Torn said.

Jak growled. He knew as well as anyone that he could never hope to bend or break the indestructible metal. He sat back. "God, I hate being out of the action."

"Not as much as I hate having my best fighter on the 'inactive' list." Torn said. "Now, if I hear that you've gone and pulled some dumb stunt like last year when you single-handedly attacked the Palace the moment you got better, I'll make sure you don't come back from where I'll send you." With that, Torn turned around and left.

Jak ran a hand through his hair. "Precursors, that was close, huh?" He sighed. "I thought that I was done for when I saw that huge chunk of metal stuck in my stomach."

"What the hell were you thinking?" Daxter demanded angrily. "How could you almost let yourself die like that? I thought I had lost you back there! Don't you ever do that to me again!"

"Hey, calm down. I'm fine, Dax." Jak said. "I'm not dead." He paused. "So… how did you survive the blast?"

"Ah… I bailed early and managed not to get hit by a freakin' huge piece of metal, which, by the way, Torn has saved. It's HUGE! It's a wonder you could survive that, let alone pulled it out yourself." Daxter paused. "Speaking of which… what in the world possessed you to come back and live?"

Jak looked down at the sheets that covered him. "My life flashed before my eyes and I realized that I had a lot to live for. I guess I just realized that I couldn't just let myself die."

"Simple as that?" Daxter asked. "You just decided that you wanted to live?"

"I guess."

"I don't know. It sounds kind of far-fetched to me." Daxter said. "So, what you're saying that I could stab myself and will myself back to life?"

"You shouldn't try it." Jak said sternly. "I have healing powers. I did die, and something made me realize that I wanted to come back."

Daxter stared at his friend. "Are you a freakin' God? Can anything kill you? You've survived the deadliest illness of all time, Dark Eco Poisoning, and you've even come back from the dead through sheer force of will!"

"Sorry to tell you, but I'm as mortal as anyone else." Jak said. "In fact, every time I have a near-death experience, I'm reminded of just how mortal I am. I'm not immortal. In fact, I'm most likely to die early."


	25. Behind Enemy Lines

Once again, for the second time that day, Jak thought about the mysterious song that he had heard during his near death experience.

" _From the time when I was young_

_I prayed for a child to call my own_

_But now that the day has come to me_

_I wish it wasn't so_

_It's not that I don't love you_

_My precious baby boy_

_But what the fates have planned for you_

_It rips my heart in two_

_How could the Fates be so cruel_

_As to take my boy?_ "

The words tore at Jak's heart. They were words sung out of pain and sorrow. But the identity of the singer confused him more. Was it possible that he was hearing his mother's voice?

And if it was his mother's voice, was it possible that she somehow knew what would happen to him in the future? About prison? About the demons that he fought on a daily basis?

Jak hesitated slightly before he spoke. "Mom… did you know?"

"What was that?" Jak looked up and saw that Daxter had entered the room. "What did you say?" The furry rodent asked.

Jak looked away. "Nothing."

"Keira?" Daxter asked.

"This time? No, actually." Jak said. "Things are great with her, apart from the fact that about three force fields separate us. However…" Jak paused. "The separation makes me aware that it is a miracle that we're still together at all… after all we've been through."

"Oh, come on…" Daxter sighed. "You've been nothing but loving and faithful!"

Jak scoffed. "If only that were true."

"Come on, I mean, it's not like you've ever cheated on her… or hit her…" Daxter laughed, as though the very idea was a joke.

Jak looked away in shame. He and Keira had been fighting over the nature of their relationship. Jak believed that it would be better for her to forget about him all together, but she had refused to give up on her love. He remembered feeling his anger spike, something that was so common back then… then the next thing he knew, she was on the ground, gingerly touching the large red mark he had left on her face.

"Jak?" Daxter began slowly when he saw the shameful look on Jak's face. "You haven't cheated on Keira, have you?"

"I've never cheated on Keira!" Jak said.

"Then don't tell me you…"

"It was a long time ago." Jak interrupted. "Back when I was a complete bastard. I knew… even then, what I did was wrong, but my anger overpowered my reason." Jak looked at Daxter and saw that the rodent had a shocked and disgusted look on his face. "If it makes you feel any better, that episode caused me to have the worst guilt-trip I've ever had, even worse then when I killed Sorus. I vomited from the effing guilt!"

"Yeah, well, you were throwing up a lot back then." Daxter said.

"But Keira has forgiven me for that episode." Jak said.

"All the worse!" Daxter said. "Listen, buddy, you're my best friend, ever since you showed up in Sandover with old Log-Knog and Keira. But I keep a healthy respect of just how dangerous you are. You are a good person, there's no doubt about that, but you are dangerous! You of all people can't deny that!"

"Of course I don't deny it!" Jak hissed. "Look at me, Dax! I've probably got the highest murder count of any single person in history! I've killed, Dax, and worse… I've enjoyed it. I've killed my friends as well as my enemies. I can't give mercy anymore… even when the only merciful path is death."

"What are you talking about?" Daxter asked.

Jak sighed. He hated reliving his time in prison. "Back in prison… a friend was dying of Eco Poisoning. He begged me to kill him… but I couldn't. For my life, I couldn't. It was fresh after my first murder and I wasn't ready to do it again. Sorus had to kill him. You see, Dax? I'm not capable of showing mercy."

"I think you are just as capable of showing mercy as the next guy." Daxter said. "You showed mercy to Sig in that arena. A cold, merciless person wouldn't have thrown down their sword like that…"

"He begged me to fight him." Jak said. "To him, the only merciful path was for one of us to kill the other. What I did was not merciful. I nearly got all of us killed."

"Don't worry. That's just your Dark personality talking." Daxter said. "I think you'll see the Light in the end."

Jak shook his head. "For my own sake, and everyone's sake, I hope you're right."

"But… one thing's for sure!" Daxter said. "You shouldn't ever hit Keira!"

"You think I'm proud of that?" Jak demanded. "You think that I'm proud that I hit Keira in a fit of rage? Cause I'm not!"

"No. But that doesn't change the past." Daxter said.

"I know. I know." Jak said.

Suddenly, the door opened and Torn walked in. "Word's getting around about you." He looked rather nervous.

"Let me guess, people are demanding why a dangerous freak like me is back in the City?" Jak sighed. "Just what I need."

"Actually, the public's rather excited about your return. Many are convinced that you will end the war. But this isn't all good attention." Torn paused. "Tess has found out that you're back in the City."

Jak blinked. "Oh my God!"

"My Tessie-Poo!" Daxter yelled.

"No, please, anything but that! I'd rather die again!" Jak cried, and for good reason. Tess was a ditzy blonde woman who was extremely annoying and clingy. But Jak was relieved that she clung to Daxter and not him.

Suddenly, Tess walked in. She squealed and launched at Jak. "What the…" Jak yelled as she tackled him. For a split second, Jak feared that this was one of his worst nightmares come true. But Tess' true aim was to go _through_ Jak and get to the Ottsel on the other side.

She grabbed Daxter and tried to embrace him. Unfortunately for Jak, he was still trapped between them. "Daxxie!" Tess squealed as she embraced both Jak and Daxter.

"Excuse me!" Jak growled, extracting himself from Tess' grip.

"Oh, Daxxie, you're back!" Tess fawned. "Aw! Did that mean old desert burn your itty-bitty paws?"

"Hey, Tess-baby, don't crusha the merchandise." Daxter extracted himself from Tess' cleavage. "So, how are things?"

"Well, I've been designing new guns to help out the war effort." Tess said.

Jak blinked, still slightly horrified by the fact that Tess had embraced him. "You make guns now?"

"Yeah." Tess said, only giving Jak the slightest look. "I've only just finished my latest project." She pulled out a huge, lethal-looking weapon. "It sports a multi-bore, high-powered gyro-burst launcher with blowback breach assist. It has full-jacket, eco-depleting armor piercing slugs and a continuous kill-zone scanning for tight groupings and a high cycle rate of fire." She finished with an evil grin. Jak blinked. Although he had handled guns before, most of the vocabulary was lost on him. Tess laughed at the look on the elf's face. "It's a hobby."

"That's great, baby, but… ah… I'm not so into guns anymore." Daxter said with the air that he used when he was stealing the limelight. Jak shook his head slightly. "Much too uncivilized for me."

"Oh, Jak, meet me in the bar." Torn said.

All too happy to leave Daxter and Tess in the room. Jak got up and walked into the bar.

Torn sat at the bar and Jak sat down next to him. "I've got a job for you. The Metal-Head section needs to be broken into. We need to attack their hive from below, and the sewers are the only way in right now. We haven't been in those old passageways since the war broke out, but no scouts have reported movement down there."

"For once." Jak said.

"Let me rephrase that." Torn said. "I mean no scouts have come back alive to tell us."

Jak laughed. "Things are never as simple as they seem." He paused, and leaned against the bar. "Dark… dirty… dangerous… I'm beginning to like this war."

"That's the spirit." Torn said.

"Dax! It's time to go!" Jak called into the back rooms. There was no answer. "Dax?" Still no answer. "Dax!" He yelled.

Daxter peeked out of the room. "What?" He yelled back. "Precursors! I almost miss the quieter Jak! Could you get any louder? What do we have to do this time?"

"A suicide mission into the sewers. We're heading into the Metal-Head City section." Jak said.

"Oh, I get it…" Daxter said, looking at Torn. "You're still giving us the crappy missions, I see!"

"Stop complaining. You've got me." Jak said.

Daxter glared at his friend. "The last time you said that, I ended up hanging from a wooden beam twenty feet in the air, not to mention almost having a Dark Idol fall on me!"

Jak grabbed the small rodent. "Quit complaining. You're coming whether you like it or not." Daxter struggled vainly against his captor, but Jak was vastly stronger than he was. He could easily hold older and larger men in a nelson, and Daxter wasn't an elf at all.

With Daxter still struggling with all his might. Jak walked out of the bar.

* * *

After a rather long walk through the sewers, which were full to the brim of Krimzon Guard Death Bots, evil robots whose metal skins were damn near indestructible as it could be without using Precursor Metal. However, the Dark Eco blades cut through the metal easily.

The elf arrived at the elevator that, if Jak's sense of direction was right, would come up right into the farming district which the Metal-Heads claimed as their own after Jak's banishment.

The elevator proved to be the right one when it opened topside. It reminded Jak of the Metal-Head Nest. Everywhere, the ground had been upturned into the spiky rock formations similar to the ones at the Nest. Dark Eco pools covered the ground every few dozen feet. Their sizes ranged from puddle-size to lake-size that spanned the entire path.

Suddenly, a hologram of Ashelin appeared and Jak jumped. There was no hologram projector in sight. "Don't worry. While you were gone, one of our scientists developed a technology that allows us to project holograms anywhere within the City, or its immediate surroundings." Ashelin's slightly blurred image said. "We have a special job that requires your… unique talents. We've received intelligence that the Metal-Heads are using a large cache of Dark Eco for their own nefarious purposes. They must not be allowed to unleash these weapons of mass destruction on the City. The damage these weapons would cause would be total: total damage… total loses."

"Well, can't allow that to happen." Jak said.

"You are the only being in existence that can absorb Dark Eco with no harm to yourself. I want you to infiltrate the enemy's stronghold, find this Dark Eco cache, and absorb every ounce of Eco in it." Ashelin paused. "Be careful, Jak, you are behind enemy lines now. If you should fail, get injured, or become unable to return in anyway, there is no backup to save you. You are truly alone on this one."

"That's how I like it best." Jak said. "I can't stand babysitting."

"Jak…" Ashelin said. "Please be careful."

"Will do." Jak said. With that, Ashelin's image disappeared into thin air. Jak began to move stealthily through the maze of the Metal-Head City section. Jak wished that he had a Dark Idol handy because the place was crawling with some of the big-type Metal-Heads. Jak knew that if they discovered him, and ganged up on him, he'd become overwhelmed. Even with all of his powers, he didn't have eyes in the back of his head. So he used all his agility to move through the environment without making a sound. In the general darkness of the area, Jak with his black trench coat was little more than a shadow that was barely noticeable to all but the keenest eye.

He moved south, back towards the Port, quietly killing any Metal-Heads that got in his way or that happened to discover him.

Finally, he could feel the Dark Eco, it was very close. The concentrated Dark Eco stuck out like sore thumb in the back of his mind.

Then he saw it. It was a huge, crudely made container of Dark Eco. It was a wonder how the Metal-Heads managed to contain the evil substance without Precursor Metal containers.

Jak walked over to it. The smell of the Dark Eco was more intoxicating to the elf than any alcohol. This Eco was concentrated and therefore much more powerful than regular Eco. Jak reached out a hand towards the tank, fully aware that, just like the Lightning Storm showed him, too much Eco at once could kill him. He was unsure of how much Dark Eco it took to create that Lightning storm, but it had to be several hundred million units of Eco, at the very least. Much more than that would definitely destroy him.

With that in mind, the elf pressed a hand against the container and felt the Dark Eco being absorbed into his system. He kept a careful idea of just how much Eco was entering his body. The fact that this Eco was concentrated meant it was absorbing a lot faster. In fact, within a minute, he had already absorbed over a thousand units of Eco.

Several minutes later, and he began to feel sick. His body had already been mostly full of the Dark substance, and this new batch added on top of that… But he kept his hand against the container.

"Jak? Are you okay?" Daxter asked when he friend groaned.

"I'm fine." Jak said. "There's just a lot of Eco." Dark Eco began to cackle over his skin, as it was simply overflowing.

Suddenly, the container fell apart, and Daxter was forced to do a quick retreat. Jak took a step back, but he groaned in pain as the last of the Dark Eco, tens of thousands of units, absorbed into his body at once. He looked at his hands and gasped. Both of his hands were covered with some sort of dark-purple fire.

It seemed that the Dark Eco he had absorbed from the container and been the last straw on his tortured system. A familiar pain tore through him, the pain of the Dark Transformation. But this one was different. Most of his transformations occurred so fast, that he didn't have much time to think about how much they hurt, but this one was occurring painfully slow. He doubled up as the pain of the drawn-out transformation began. The worst part by far was the horns. Usually, they came so fast; he didn't even have time to feel them hurt. But he felt his head explode with pain as the horns protruded from his forehead. The fangs grew in his mouth slowly and his skin and hair paled until they were deathly white. His pupils slowly expanded until his eyes were completely engulfed by Darkness. Last of all, the claws grew slowly until they curved into cruel talons. The transformation was complete. Dark Jak cackled with Dark energy, and his hands and claws continued to glow with the strange fire.

Instinct told the demon that this was a new Dark Power, and a powerful one at that. The Dark Monster looked around his surroundings. The road to the Port was blocked by a tough filmy substance. The perfect thing, his instincts told him, to try out his new-found power.

He cupped his claws together and focused his powers between them. A glowing orb appeared, made out of thousands of units of Dark Eco. It didn't look like much, but it contained enough explosive force to blow open the side of a Metal-Head Beast.

And so, without further ado, Dark Jak chucked the explosive ball toward the filmy barrier, it didn't stand a chance. The ball exploded and disintegrated the barrier instantly.

"Talk about knocking the door down." Daxter commented.

Dark Jak could feel the Dark Eco in his body, and he knew that it would be quite a while before he would be able to change back to normal, so he decided to ignore the fact that he was currently a demon, he did have it under control and all. "Come on, Dax." Dark Jak said with a slightly echoic demon voice. "Let's get out of here."


	26. Another Barrier Dropped

As Dark Jak moved out of the Metal-Head area and back into the port area, there was a suddenly flash to his right.

The Dark Elf instinctively slashed at the thing. Better safe then sorry. However… "Sweet Precursors!" Then Dark Jak jumped in surprise. What he had just slashed at was a hologram of Samos, and he looked rather shocked to have been attacked by Jak's Dark Form. "What in the name of the Precursors are you doing?" The old elf demanded.

Dark Jak laughed nervously. "Sorry about that, Samos."

"Why are you in your Dark Form? You're not out killing innocent people, are you?" Samos asked.

"I don't kill innocent people anymore, Samos." Dark Jak said. "Besides, its your guy's fault that I'm stuck like this, telling me to drain the Eco tank. It overloaded my system. And I might be like this for several minutes at least."

"But you have drained those tanks?" Samos asked.

"Drained and destroyed." Dark Jak said.

"That's good, but a new problem has come to my attention. I hope you don't mind flashbacks." Samos said.

"What are you talking about?" Dark Jak asked.

"Terrible cries have reached me from Haven Forest. The plants are in pain. There's been a lot of Dark Eco being moved around and several of the plants have become infected by the Dark Eco." Samos explained.

"You weren't kidding about the flashback." Daxter laughed.

"Is this another 'absorb' job?" Dark Jak asked. "Because I don't think my system will handle much more Dark Eco today."

"What about Green Eco?"

"No clue." Dark Jak said. "I haven't come in contact with any of the 'regular' Ecos since Sandover."

"Well, it's worth a try. Channeling powers just don't disappear." Samos said. "Several Green Eco wells have opened in Haven Forest in hopes of offsetting the Dark Eco. Now, go out there, channel the Green Eco, and heal those plants."

* * *

In the Freedom League fortress, Samos watched the slightly distorted image of Jak's Dark Side. It seemed that the Dark Eco field that surrounded his body distorted the signal. The image of the Dark Monster nodded. "Okay, Samos, I'll try."

"And if you find yourself unable to channel the Green Eco for any reason, do not try to absorb the Dark Eco. We might be able to find other Channelers…"

"No, Samos, it has to be me." Dark Jak's image said. "Channelers are rare. By the time you find another and get him out to Haven Forest, it will be overrun. It has to be me."

"Daddy?" Samos looked around and Dark Jak looked up. "Is that… Jak?" Keira was standing in the doorway.

Dark Jak had recognized her voice even though he couldn't see her because she wasn't in range of the hologram' view. "Keira!"

The she-elf ran up and stood next to her father so that Dark Jak could see her. "Jak? Why are you in your Dark form?"

"Just a small Dark Eco overload." Dark Jak said. "Nothing to worry about."

Samos, at that time, wisely decided to leave. "Remember, Haven Forest." He reminded the Dark Elf before he left the room.

Keira embraced the image, a strange sight to see since holograms are nothing but light. It was like watching someone try to embrace a ghost. Dark Jak embraced her back, but she pulled right out of his arms. Not because she was afraid; she knew that Jak was the one in control. Not that he could actually hurt her if he wasn't as he had proven when he had accidentally attacked Samos. It was just too painful for her when he was only a hologram, to have his image right there and not be able to touch him. It was the torture at the force field all over again.

"Keira?" Dark Jak asked.

"This isn't fair!" Keira said angrily. "We love each other so much, yet we can't even touch each other!"

A hint of sorrow passed over Dark Jak's face. "I know, Keira, I know. But nothing is fair anymore." Dark Jak reached out his claw and carefully brushed it against her face, a loving movement that Keira could not feel.

Keira's own hand automatically traveled up to meet his. The she-elf then let out a small sob. "Please, hurry back." She cried quietly. "I don't know how much longer I can stand this separation."

Dark Jak did his very best to embrace and comfort her. "Don't think like that." The Demon said. "Don't worry, Keira. I promise that I will find you… and soon. Keira… I would do anything for you. If you want the world… all you'd have to do is ask."

"I don't want anything but your love." Keira said. "I won't ever ask you for anything more than that." She paused, returning the embrace as best as she could for a figure make out of pure light. "Just love me… forever…"

Dark Jak screwed up his eyes as he embraced her more. "Forever and the day after… I promise."

* * *

(Back at Port)

Daxter watched his friends in amazement. The sight before him only did more to convince him that they were truly soul-mates. As they embraced, their bodies were so close together, and aided by the fact that Keira wasn't solid, but the couple no longer seemed like two separate people, they were now a single being with a single mind and single heart.

They were one.

They stayed this way for several minutes, even as Dark Jak transformed back into his normal form. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, the couple separated.

"It won't be much longer." Jak said. "We've destroyed one barrier and there's two more let, not including the one around you guys."

"We'll take care of that." Keira said. "Just call us when the other two are destroyed."

"We'll do that." Jak said.

"Just… stay safe." Keira said. "If anything ever happened to you…"

"Don't worry, my love. It is your love that keeps me safe." Jak said with a smile.

"Good-bye, Jak. I love you." Keira said as her image faded.

Jak stared at the place where Keira's image had been seconds earlier. "I love you too… so much that I can't even explain it."

Daxter slowly approached the young elf. "Are you all right?" He asked.

"No, I'm not." Jak said. "But it's nothing that can be helped right now. The only thing to do right now is to do what I'm told until I can get back to Keira."

"Which means going into Haven Forest to rescue a bunch of ailing plants." Daxter said. "You see what I mean? Once the _plants_ are in danger, then we've got a real crisis on our hands!"

"That's Samos for you." Jak said with a fake smile to hide his misery. "Ever the Eco-loving Tree-hugger."

"Let's go. The sooner this crap is over, the sooner we can get your girl…" Daxter paused. "My furry heart almost broke when I saw that. And I've decided something."

"What's that?" Jak asked.

"I've decided that I support yours and Keira's relationship a hundred percent." Daxter said. "Whatever happens, I wish you two nothing but the best."

Jak stared at his friend. "Since when have you been mushy?"

"Since when have you?" Daxter demanded.

"Good point."

Meanwhile, inside Jak's head, a certain Dark Monster was gagging loudly. **That was so disgusting! I can't believe you made me do that!**

 _'I think is was rather sweet.'_ Light said.

 **Of course you do, you big pussy.** Dark hissed.

 _Hey! Could you two just butt out of this?_ Jak demanded. _Precursors! Do you two always have to fight? You two are driving me insane!_

 **It's not like you were perfectly sane before all this, retard.** Dark said.

 _'It's completely inconceivable that we are really the same person.'_ Light said.

 **There is no way in hell I'm related to you two!** Dark hissed. **I'm way superior to you guys!**

 _'Lack of love… not to mention manners does not make you superior.'_ Light pointed out. _'It just makes you… evil!'_

 **Oh Precursors, that really hurt.** Dark said sarcastically. **Seriously, I think I'm gonna cry.**

 _WILL YOU TWO SHUT UP!_ Jak thought the equivalent of a yell.

There was silence for several seconds before… _'Okay, shutting up now.'_

 **Whatever you say.** Dark said.

 _Good!_ Jak hissed.

"Hey, Jak, you okay?" Daxter asked. "You look upset."

"I'm fine." Jak said. "It's just my two alter-egos. They always have to put in their two cents, and, what's worse, they never stop arguing."

"Really? What do they argue about?" Daxter asked, slightly curious.

"Just about everything. Especially which one of them is superior to the rest of us…" Jak said.

"Ouch, I'll bet that one never gets old." Daxter winched.

"Enough about them. Let's go help these plants." Jak paused, and sighed. "I can't believe I just said that!"

"You got that right, brother!" Daxter said. "The next thing you know, Samos'll have us all hugging trees and believing that plants will one day rule the world." Daxter paused and laughed. "Do you really think he can talk to plants, or do you think that wearing that moldy old log on his head has turned his brain into a moldy old log?"

"You should respect Samos!" Jak said.

"No! You and Keira are the only ones around here that need to respect Samos! Keira cause, you know, he's her daddy and all. And you because he's protected you since before you remember. Not to mention that if you ever wanted to marry Keira, you'll have to kiss up to him a hell of a lot…"

"Dax!"

"Oh… sorry…" Daxter said. "Are you still touchy about marriage? Then what was with all that 'I'll-give-you-the-world' stuff?"

"I said that because I knew that she would never actually ask me for the world." Jak said. "I never want her to ask me for the world."

"Why?"

"Because I can give her the world." Jak said.

* * *

The final plant was healed. It turned out that Jak could channel Green Eco easily. It seemed that after years of channeling the more dangerous types of Eco, the easy types were… well… easy to channel.

Almost instantly, a hologram of Torn appeared. "Are you ready to blow up another barrier?"

"Hmm… considering that I nearly died blowing up the last one… Of course I'm ready." Jak said sarcastically.

"Good to hear it." Torn said. "But you will actually be out of harm's way unless you get yourself eaten by a Metal-Head. Jinx will actually be the one in harm's way."

"Jinx?" Jak asked.

"Jinx!" Daxter said.

"I'm sure you remember him. He worked for Krew also, but he's been helping us. He's discovered several critical power junctions that, if destroyed, will shut off one force field."

"That's great!"

"Your job will be to cover Jinx's ass as he sets the explosives, and to get him to each power junction."

"You know me, Torn." Jak said. "Just say the magic word, and it will be done."

"Do it, or I'll kick your ass from here to the Wasteland!" Torn said.

"I don't think that was quite the response that Jak was looking for." Daxter teased.

"You too!" Torn glared at Daxter, who cowered behind Jak's back.

"Don't make me come over there…" Daxter began.

"Enough." Jak said. "You know you are powerless."

"Anyway, Jinx is waiting for you in a vehicle outside Haven Forest." Torn said. "Remember, do this right and we'll be one step closer to getting back to Freedom HQ."

With that, Torn's image disappeared. Jak then moved through the trees towards the exit of Haven Forest when something caught his eye. It was the flash of sunlight off a piece of metal. Jak spun around, completely alert, for it could be a Metal-Head.

But there was no living thing there. The metal flashed again and Jak moved toward it. It was underneath some foliage, and it seemed to be an object that had been there for years, as the plants had grown all over it. Jak pulled away the plants and uncovered the object. "Oh Precursors!" He gasped.

"Whoa! Look at that!" Daxter said, staring at the object in Jak's hands.

It was a piece of armor, but no ordinary piece of armor. It was made out of Precursor Metal and it had Mar's Seal etched on the inside. It was a piece of Mar's ancient armor, a shoulder guard by the looks of it. Jak quickly attached it to the shoulder that wasn't occupied by Daxter. Like the others, it had been a perfect fit.

"I still find it hard to believe that Mar's armor, Mar who was the greatest hero who ever lived, would fit you like it had been made for you." Daxter said.

"It is strange." Jak said, rotating his shoulder to check his range of movement. It was perfect, like he wasn't even wearing indestructible armor. "Do you think Mar, or whoever, left it here for me to find?"

"Maybe Mar liked this spot." Daxter suggested.

At Daxter's words, a vision passed before Jak's mind's eye.

_A young man moved quietly through the forest. He held two weapons at his side. In his left hand he held a long sword that was made of pure Dark Eco, and in his right he held another identical sword that was composed entirely of Light Eco. It was the Great Warrior, Mar himself! He wore a crown atop his green hair, and his green eyes were lowered to the ground._

_The young King dropped to his knees and dropped the two weapons. The great hero began to weep bitterly on the ground. "Precursors…" He gasped. "Why must it be me? Why must it be him? Is there no other? I can't… I can't be responsible for the consequences if I fail…"_

Suddenly, Jak gasped as the vision passed. "What the…"

"What? What is it?" Daxter asked.

"Mar!" Jak said. "Oh my Precursors… he didn't want it!"

"Didn't want what?" Daxter asked.

"He didn't want to be the hero that he was!" Jak said. "The consequences of failure for a hero is your death and the destruction of the world. He didn't want that responsibility!"

"Just like you." Daxter said. "This is _way_ creepy! There are so many parallels between your life and Mar's life!"

"The question is…" Jak paused. "Will I save the world like Mar did, or will I be responsible for its destruction?"

"I'll just say this…" Daxter said. "I don't want to be remembered as the person who helped Jak destroy the world!"

"Fair enough." Jak said while they walked out of the creepy forest.

They spotted the vehicle that Jinx waited in instantly. As always, he was surrounded by a cloud of smoke that emitted from the cigar that he carried almost constantly. Jinx spotted him also. "Hey, Jakkie-Boy! Long time, no see! So, where have you been?"

"Took an extended vacation in the Desert." Jak said.

"Ah, the old Wasteland Desert. Been there, done that. Didn't like it very much. What that place lacks in shade and water, it more than makes up for in scorching heat and blinding sunshine."

Jak jumped into the driver's seat of the two-seater zoomer. "I rather liked the heat. It's this weather that I can't stand." The elf glared at the sky, which was gray with low clouds that completely covered the sun and the sky. At least you could ask a Wastelander the color of the sky and they would know its blue. A Havener would think that it's gray. How pitiful is that?

"So, you ready to rock and roll?" Jinx asked.

"Sure." Jak said, turning on the zoomer with the push of a button and took off.

* * *

The last of the power junctions blew up and the near-by force field deactivated.

Torn's image appeared. "Sweet Eco, Jak, you actually managed not to screw this up. Good job with the explosives. We're one step closer to reuniting with our friends."

Jinx laughed. "Not bad, Jakkie-Boy." He said as Torn's image disappeared.

"Hey, I didn't let a single Metal-Head or Death Bot touch you!" Jak said.

"But you didn't quite put on a show like last time we worked together." Jinx said.

"Oh, so you wanted a show?" Jak asked. "Maybe you'll see me in real action… someday."


	27. Daxter's Bad Day

Jak walked back into the Naughty Ottsel bar and Torn met him. "Good job. If things go as planned, we'll be staying within the walls of HQ soon."

"That's a good thing." Jak said.

"I've got another job for you." Torn said. "You got time for a hijack?"

"Sure, why not?" Jak shrugged.

"We've received intelligence that an Eco shipment is being delivered to a Bot-controlled Eco processing plant. This Eco will be a great asset to our cause. We need you to hijack the vehicle and drive it here to the Naughty Ottsel. And, most importantly, don't lose that shipment."

"Hey, Jak." Daxter said. "Did you ever realize that the word 'hijack' sounds like someone's saying 'Hi, Jak'?"

Jak shook his head. "You are such an idiot."

 _'Wow…'_ Light said. _'I never realized that before…'_

"If there are any merciful Gods out there, just kill me now!" Jak cried.

"Don't tempt fate." Torn said.

"Don't worry yourself." Jak said. With that, Daxter jumped on his shoulder and he walked out, stole a nearby zoomer and took off towards the Slums entrance.

Once there, they were within sight of the last force field, which stood just before the Slum's entrance, Jak spotted the vehicle that carried several barrels of Eco in the back. That had to be the Eco vehicle that Jak had to steal.

After giving a quick glance around for potential dangers and finding none, Jak jumped off his own zoomer and jumped into the driver's seat of the new zoomer. With the push of a button, the engine started.

However, Jak didn't realize that the vehicle had hidden defenses. There was a buzzing noise and Jak looked around. A large panel had popped out of the wall some fifty feet away, a missile launcher. Half a seconds later, half a dozen missiles were launched Jak's way.

"Shit!" Jak swore, opening the acceleration all the way and jumping from a dead stop to a little over ninety miles an hour within a few seconds. However, the missiles swiftly changed direction and followed the vehicle. "Shit!" Jak repeated, looking over his shoulder for a split second. "They're locked on to me! Dax! Watch the Eco, make sure it doesn't fall out!"

Daxter looked back, but all he could see was the missiles, slowly but surely catching up to them. "They're getting closer!" Daxter screamed.

Jak grit his teeth and concentrated on the road ahead. Suddenly, the radio cackled and, over the general chaos of things, Jak heard Torn's voice over the speakers. They obviously managed to hijack the vehicle's radio frequency.

"Jak? What's going on?" Torn asked.

"Well…" Jak yelled angrily. "I've got missiles on my ass and I can't lose them!"

"Damn! They're probably Eco-Seeking. Prefect for keeping a bead on you and that vehicle." Torn said. "We've been working on such a tracking system…"

"Torn! What I want to know right now is how I get rid of them!" Jak roared, turning into the Port.

"You'll have to find something that gives off more Eco power then you do." Torn said.

"And what would that be?" Jak demanded. "I happen to have a helluva lot of Eco in me!"

There was a pause, during which Daxter screamed that the missiles were catching up. "The bar sign." Torn said finally. "Head towards the Naughty Ottsel, we'll use the bar sign as a decoy."

"What?" Daxter demanded.

"You can make it." Torn said. "Crank that sign up to full brightness!" He ordered to someone in the background. The huge Ottsel mannequin suddenly lit up until it shone across the whole Port. Hopefully, it now gave off more Eco then Jak. If not… then he was toast. The elf began to head towards the bar.

"Hang on, Dax! This is gonna be close!" Jak yelled.

"Jak!" Daxter screamed.

Jak drove up to the bar sign and slammed on the brakes and switched hover zones instantly. However, instead of following Jak, the missiles flew straight into the Ottsel mannequin.

Several explosions later and the smoke cleared to reveal the damage. The entire top half of the mannequin was simply gone.

"AUGH!" Daxter screamed, pointing at the destroyed bar sign in horror. "My beautiful mug! It's destroyed!"

Then, in a twist of fate, the mannequin's head fell out of the sky and impaled itself on the mannequin's pitchfork.

Melodramatic tears welled up in Daxter's eyes. "Today… my life ends. Today we die."

Jak rolled his eyes. "Would you rather we ended up like that?" He asked, pointing at the destroyed mannequin.

"Leave me alone." Daxter said sorrowfully.

Jak landed the zoomer and turned off the engine. Torn ran out of the bar and stopped when he saw Jak. "It worked?"

"Yeah."

"And the Eco?"

Jak looked in the cargo hold. All the Eco barrels were there. "Yeah."

"That's good. The mission was a perfect success." Torn said.

"Perfect success?" Daxter demanded. "My mannequin was destroyed! Do you have any idea how much it cost me?"

"Dax! Our lives are worth more than any mannequin. Besides…" Jak grinned. "Having a ten-foot tall mannequin of yourself does make you seem like you're full of yourself."

Daxter whimpered. "I need to see my Tessie-Poo. Please take me to the Gun Course."

Jak didn't answer for several seconds, weighing his options. If he didn't take Daxter, he'd complain until he did take him. However, if he took him, he might end up in another embarrassing situation like last time. Jak sighed. "Fine. Come on." Jak said, praying to the Precursors that he didn't get caught in an embarrassing situation between Daxter and Tess.

Several minutes later, Jak walked into the Gun Coarse. Tess was there, but her back was turned to them. Daxter jumped off Jak's shoulder and tackled Tess from behind.

Tess gasped, turning around. "Daxter! My little hero!" She pressed the small Ottsel against her cleavage, but Daxter wasn't one to complain, at least not in this situation. "What's happening?"

"Oh, you know… risking my life to perform heroic deeds for all elf-kind." Daxter said casually.

"Oh my!" Tess gasped. "You know, I think this City's too dangerous. We need our own place in the country. A little… pink house…" Both Jak and Daxter blinked in horror. _A pink house?_ "With a white picket fence… and a fireplace! And a big four-poster bed for me and… and a little Ottsel run on the side of the house for you!" Tess finished with a sigh.

"Aww! Are you worried about me, my little Tessie-Poo?" Daxter asked.

"Of course, my itty-bitty whisker-puss!" Tess said, scratching Daxter under his chin. Daxter's eyes rolled up in pleasure.

Jak rolled his eyes in disgust. "Oh pull-ease! Will you two take it outside?" He gestured towards the door.

"After all the lovey-dovey-ness you get with Keira? No way!" Daxter said.

"At least I don't call her 'Keira-Poo'." Jak retorted.

"You need a hug, Jak?" Daxter asked. "Cause you know Tess and I have plenty to go around."

Jak glared at him.

"I'll take that as a 'no'." Daxter said. "Or maybe even a 'hell no'."

Tess suddenly spoke up. "I heard that people think you two are the best shot we've got to get into the Catacombs. I know you'll do just fine, Daxter, and I'm sure your sidekick will do just fine too."

Jak stared at her. Just how blind did she have to be? "Now, wait just a…"

But Tess cut him off. "Go give 'em hell, boys! Then come back… and I'll scratch you behind your… ears." She said to Daxter seductively.

Jak shook his head in exasperation. Daxter was the only person who would get excited about getting scratched behind the ears. He was almost more Ottsel then elf. The only things that really remained of Daxter's humanity was his ability to speak, his personality, and his insatiable appetite for women.

It made Jak wonder… if he ever found a way for Daxter to become a normal elf again, would he really want that? Would he want to be an elf again?

Suddenly, a hologram of Torn appeared out of nowhere. "Jak! We need you to come to the Naughty Ottsel right away!" With that short message, Torn was gone.

"Come on, Dax, we need to go." Jak said. Daxter reluctantly detached himself from Tess and followed Jak out the door.

Jak ran back into the Naughty Ottsel. "What is it?" He asked as he walked over to Torn.

"We have received word of a new large-scale assault on the Port." Torn said. "They're trying to take us out once and for all. The weird thing is we're seeing movement from both the Metal-Head and KG fronts. It's like they're working together. Something about this doesn't seem right." Torn shook his head. "I hate to do this to you, running on over twenty-four hours of non-stop action, but I'm putting you on the front line. You're my go-to guy. We've got to repel this assault or we're through. If they break through our defenses, we're history.

"Those Metal-Heads and Bots will never make it to this bar." Jak said, and then he sighed and shook his head. "I can't believe I'm going to risk my life for a bar!"

"It's not just any bar!" Daxter said. "It's my bar!"

"Right, whatever." Jak rolled his eyes. He began to walk to the door when he noticed that Daxter wasn't following him. "Dax? You coming?"

"No thanks, big guy." Daxter said, waving his paws in the air. "This sounds like one of those missions that will end with people running and screaming in terror. Missions like this is nothing more than… glorified suicide!"

"It's not glorified suicide!" Jak said. Torn let out a low growl that told the elf that he was wasting time. Without another word, Jak turned and left, leaving Daxter in the relative safety of the bar.

The front line was near the entrance of the bar. Jak quickly jogged there and growled at the sight that met him. There were no enemies yet, but there was a large group of Freedom League Guards, obviously ordered there to stop the two army's advancement. If there was one thing that Jak hated, it was babysitting less able fighters. And, due to his own enhanced abilities, that meant he was slightly intolerant of just about everyone.

Jak knew that most of the Freedom League Guards were either ex-Krimzon Guards or rookies with little battle experience. The ex-Krimzon Guards were poor fighters and couldn't shot fish in a barrel. But the rookies were worse. At least the ex-Krimzon Guards had experience in fights and battles.

The Channeler walked over to the group and reactions to his presence was immediate. The elves gasped in fear and parted, making a path for Jak to move through to the front. The former Krimzon Guards had told the rookies stories about the elf's legendary power and exploits. Stories travel fast when they concern the man with the highest murder count of a single elf in all of Haven's history.

This only made the men feel a mixture of awe and fear of the powerful elf.

 _Good._ Jak thought, glaring at one of the Guards for good measure. The poor Guard looked on the verge of pissing himself. _At least now they'll stay out of my way._

Suddenly, the Dark Elf heard something and he stiffened. The Guards stiffened also when they saw Jak's tension. Torn had told them that if Jak heard something, there was probably something there.

Jak strained his hearing to their limits to see just what was coming. There was obviously a large group moving through the street ahead, an army, still too far away for the Guards to hear. With a single thought, a huge Dark Eco katana materialized in Jak's grip.

The soldiers became even more high-strung. There was no doubt now, something was coming. Slowly but surely, the rest of the Guards began to hear what Jak had heard, the clanking of metal and the shuffle of clawed feet. Then the army appeared.

It was huge, made up of hundreds of Metal-Heads and hundreds of KG Death Bots. They were lead by a lanky, shield and sword wielding Metal-Head Commander. It grinned as it saw the group that resisted it. Half the elves were scared out of their wits, and soldiers who were afraid quickly became dead.

Then it saw the single elf that stood at the front line, and knew instantly who it was. It was the abomination, the beast that destroyed their Leader. Not only did the large Dark Eco katana give that away, but also the look of utter confidence and fearlessness that was steady on his cursed face, a face that almost seemed familiar to the Commander. But the Metal-Head dismissed those feelings.

The Commander, who was one of the few Metal-Heads who spoke the Elvin language, could not help but taunt his foe. "The tales of your greatness travels fast, Dark One, even among the Metal-Heads." The Commander roared at Jak. "However, you must realize that you are hopelessly outnumbered and overpowered. I have an army behind me that feels no fear or pain. Your army reeks of fear, surely you can smell it too?" Jak's eyes narrowed. The Metal-Head spoke the truth. The smell of fear overpowered his senses. Metal-Heads do not understand fear, even at the end. The KG bots were incapable of any emotion, and especially not fear. "You understand the power of fear as much as I do, Dark One. Fear freezes the senses. It disables rational thought and your ability to carry out actions and react to situations. Your men will freeze, and they will die."

"Good." Jak said. The Metal-Head Commander blinked, as did the Guards. "It was never my style to baby-sit. I work better alone. And if these elves are too stupid to leave now, then their deaths are their own fault, not mine."

"Very poor leadership skills." The Commander laughed. "How could you expect to lead when you give your men so little hope of their survival."

"Even if I did want some sort of authority, I would never lead a group of idiots like this that will probably be the death of me." Jak said with a small smile.

The Metal-Head Commander laughed, for he did not realize what Jak was doing. Jak knew the power of fear, more then the Metal-Head did. It is fear that makes a cornered animal lash out against its captor. Fear only freezes you up if you give into that fear and let it control you. A fear of death would make people fight against the unknown. The fear of death, a feat he hoped the Freedom League Guards possessed. As much as he hated to admit it, he would not be able to win this fight by himself without resorting to desperate measures.

"Enough talk." The Metal-Head Commander growled, bringing up a sword that was almost identical to the one Jak held. A shield made of Dark Eco quickly followed. "Look well, Freedom Guards of Haven, upon Death!" With that, the Metal-Head leapt forward and charged the Elvin army.

Thus began the fight.

Jak crouched and leapt forward at the first several enemies and swung the katana in a wide arc, bisecting the first three Metal-Heads and two Bots he came to.

Before the bodies had even hit the ground, Jak had to dodge a hefty blow that was sent his way by a Death Bot, he swung the large blade again that took out several more enemies. But more Metal-heads and Bots crawled over their companion's bodies as they attempted to swarm over their prey with overwhelming numbers.

It appeared that Jak's strategy of scaring the Guards into fighting was working well, but even at the top of their game they were mediocre fighters, and the bulk of this fight would fall squarely on Jak's shoulders.

With the large katana, Jak was able to cut down several of his enemies with a single swing, but for every five Jak took out, twenty more replaced them. It was time for a new strategy.

With surprising agility, Jak leapt out of the center of the fray and quickly scaled a nearby building. The only thing he needed was TIME.

Once he was in relative safety, Jak let the Dark Eco in his bloodstream take over.

With a loud roar, Jak began his Dark transformation and, within seconds, a pale haired, pale skinned, clawed and fanged, horned, black-eyed demon stood in Jak's place.

The Dark Monster reached into his pocket. Dark storm clouds began to form overhead as it prepared to unleash the Demon's most powerful attack. Dark Jak remembered that he could only hold it a few seconds, and that was all. Any longer, and he would risk destroying himself and his enemies at the same time.

As soon as he touched one of the Dark Crystals in his pocket, he felt the overwhelming power of pure Dark Eco consume him.

With a loud roar of agony, Dark Jak sent a lightning-like beam of Dark Eco straight into the heart of the battlefield. It struck a Metal-Head and the monster exploded, and killed its fellows in the immediate area. More lightning fell from the sky and, using his limited control that he had over the destructive lightning, Dark Jak managed to not hit a single Freedom League Guard. But the Dark Lightning tore though the Metal-Heads and Krimzon Guard Bots like wet tissue paper.

The entire assault lasted only ten seconds, but the result was devastating to the enemy army. Only a few dozen of them were left after the Dark Lightning subsided.

And since Jak didn't torture himself by sustaining the Dark attack longer than necessary, he was ready to get right back into the heat of battle. With a soft growl, Dark faded away, leaving his normal form in its place. Jak jumped back down into the street and conjured the Dark katana, and cut a Bot down the center. Swinging the sword in wide, perfectly controlled arcs, Jak took out his fair share of the remaining Metal-Heads and Bots.

And then, Jak ran into a familiar face. The Metal-Head Commander that he had conversed with before the battle. The surviving Freedom League Guards took a step back, aware of the danger the Metal-Head Commander posed.

"That was quite an assault, Dark One." The Commander said. "Even I was worried for my safety."

"Pity. I thought you had died for sure." Jak said casually.

"I almost did." The Commander said. "Luckily, I was able to take cover under my shield, which absorbed the Dark Eco sent my way."

"Clever."

"I'll bet you won't be able to perform that move again in a hurry." The Commander said.

"Let's just fight." Jak said, holding the katana in a readier position.

The Commander laughed, baring his long fangs. "Let's."

With that, the two combatants leapt at each other and slashed their weapons that the other's vulnerable areas. The two Dark weapons met with a clash and a flash of Dark light.

The two weapons disengaged and they both attacked from a different angle. Once again, however, the two weapons clashed.

Jak had the natural agility and strength of five elves, while the Metal-Head had the natural strength and agility of a Metal-Head, which was several times that of a normal elf, so they were pretty evenly matched.

The Metal-Head slashed again at Jak, and he was forced to use the bracers on his arm to block the attack. But the strike was very strong. Even with the Precursor-made armor on, Jak was sure that he'd at least get a bruise before it was able to heal.

But the elf quickly made up for it. The Metal-Head's sword had gotten temporarily stuck in the joints of Jak's armor and, while he was busy with that, the Dark Elf slashed at his opponent's exposed and unarmored stomach. The Metal-Head managed to leap back to avoid the blunt of the attack, but Jak managed to cut the Metal-Head's stomach.

A wire-thin scratch, bleeding a green ooze, appeared on the monster's stomach. It pulled its sword free and leapt back further. It lowered a clawed finger to the small wound and examined the blood on the tip of its claw. It growled angrily and glared in Jak's direction.

The Dark Elf grinned, twirling the Dark katana. "First blood goes to me."

The Metal-Head let out a loud roar of anger and leapt at his opponent, hoping to catch him off guard. But Jak could have seen the attack coming from a mile away. He quickly raised his weapon to block the incoming attack. The two Dark Weapons clashed and disengaged, only to meet again at a different angle in hopes of finding a way through the other's guard.

Finally, after several seconds of back-and-forth fighting, their weapons merely a blur to the people watching, the combatants disengaged and the Metal-Head Commander leapt backwards.

Jak wasted no time in pressing his own attack. He rushed the Metal-Head, and leapt into the air, sword held high with the thought of cleaving the Commander down the middle.

The Metal-Head saw the attack coming and it took a step back to avoid the blow. Jak, however, was undaunted. He landed on the ground in the 'down-on-one-knee' position. The Metal-Head was going to get a big surprise, and it definitely wasn't going to be a proposal.

Instead of getting back up and continuing the fight, Jak stayed down low and, in one fluid movement, Jak pushed the Dark Blade upwards into the Metal-Head, catching it just below the rib cage. The sword traveled upwards, piercing the Metal-Head's diaphragm and heart. The Metal-Head stared at Jak mutely for several seconds, before it wordlessly fell to the ground and died.

Jak stood rooted to the spot for several seconds, looking down at the body of his fallen enemy before he realized that there were eyes on him. He looked around and found that the surviving Freedom League Guards were staring at him as though he were a ghost.

The two sides stared at each other for a second before Jak growled. "What are you staring at?" Without giving any of the men time to answer, the Dark Elf began to move, pushing several of the Guards out of his way as he went. Finally, he was gone.

One guard leaned towards another. "Did you see that attack?"

"The one with the lightning?"

"Yeah."

"Of course I did! It's kinda hard to miss Dark Eco lightning coming down from the sky!"

"That attack could have easily killed us all!"

"He coulda killed us all… so why didn't he? He's famous for being merciless."

"Maybe they're wrong. Maybe he's not as bad as the stories make him out to be."

"Hard to tell. I'll reserve judgment for now."


	28. Back To Spargus

It was a particularly nice day in Haven City, a balmy sixty degrees. At least, it was a nice day to people who were not used to hundred plus degree weather.

Jak was sitting at one of the tables in the Naughty Ottsel bar with a large blanket wrapped around him as he shivered. Torn watched in amazement from across the bar. "You know, I don't get you at all." Torn commented. "How can you be cold? It's nice out today."

Jak scoffed. "You've never spent time in the Wasteland desert."

"Jak's right." Daxter, who was nearby, said. "The desert's freaking hot. It makes days like this seem freezing cold."

"I've got good news for you then." Torn said. "Got a call from Samos this morning. Seems they've discovered some interesting Precursor ruins out in the forest and he wants them activated."

"And why is that good news?" Jak asked. "Activating ancient ruins usually means a lot of trouble for me. It's not a walk in the park to activate ruins that haven't been active for eons. They don't have 'on' switches, you know."

"The good news for you is that all the items needed to activate the ruins are located in the Wasteland desert." Torn said, Jak looked up in interest. "And seeing as you know that desert, you are the best man for the job."

"And while I'm gone, you're gonna work on a way to get back to HQ, right?" Jak asked.

A shadow of a smile appeared on Torn's face for a split second. "A little eager to get back to HQ, are we?"

Jak's eyes narrowed dangerously, and then his expression changed so dramatically that it was scary. He smiled. "Not as much as I expect you are."

The smile on Torn's face was instantly replaced by a look of anger. "What are you saying about me and Ashelin?"

"I didn't say anything. You just told me."

Torn's face blanked. "That comment abut me and Ashelin was uncalled for!"

Jak's eyebrows raised and Daxter laughed at Torn. "As the official judge of this conversation, I hereby rule that Jak's comment was not out-of-line considering that you had just brought up his relationship with Keira."

Torn growled. As much as he hated to admit it, Daxter was right. He decided to pretend the last thirty seconds hadn't happened at all. "Samos gave me a list of the artifacts you'll need to find… he said that you'd know what to look for." He brought out a small piece of paper, which obviously had the list of artifacts on it, and began to read off it. "Holo Cube, Quantum Reflector, Beam Generator, and a Prism."

"Sure, I know what they are." Jak said, remembering Samos' endless lessons about the various Precursor artifacts.

"Really? So… what do they do?" Torn asked.

"No idea." Jak said. "But I do know what they look like."

"So, are you up for a little artifact hunt?" Torn asked.

"Sure, why not?" Jak wrapped the blanket tighter around himself and shivered. "It's not like I have anything better to do around here than freeze."

"Good. Ashelin managed to somehow get a transport down here and it leaves for Spargus in…" Torn paused, looking at the clock above the door. "Ten minutes." Jak threw the blanket off and was about to walk out the door when Torn stopped him. "One more thing." Jak turned around and Torn tossed him a small holographic emitter. "Use that to call when you what to come back."

"Sure." Jak pocketed the emitter and walked out of the bar.

Daxter winked at Torn. "Good luck with the whole 'Ashelin' thing." He said before he walked out after his larger friend.

Torn growled, not-so-secretly glad that the rat was going back out into the desert.

There was not much to be said about the ride out into the Wasteland. It was long and boring. Daxter suffered the most, however, seeing as it's Daxter we're talking about. Daxter was only thankful that it wasn't like the last time he went out to the Wasteland when Jak was first banished when he had been smashed into a small compartment with Pecker for an hour.

But, finally, the transport began to land. Jak looked out the small window to get his bearings and was surprised to see that they were just on the other side of the plains that stretched out before Spargus. The walls of Spargus rose above the hot sands a mile away.

The Dark Elf pulled down his goggles over his eyes and pulled the scarf over his nose to protect his face from the swirling sands.

The transport door opened and Jak walked out. It was about a hundred and fifteen degrees out. Slightly hot, but nice.

The transport instantly lifted off and took off across the desert heading back towards Haven City, leaving the elf and the Ottsel in the blistering hot desert where he was more at home than the City of his birth.

He began to move across the desert towards the desert city and didn't have much trouble getting to the gates considering that he was now used to the hot climate and he had to walk a shorter distance than last time.

Within a few minutes, they had reached the gates of Spargus, which opened for him without complaint. He was instantly greeted by a familiar face.

Sig looked up from the Sand Shark, which he seemed to be working on. He stared at Jak like he was seeing a ghost. "Cherries?"

"Sig!" Daxter exclaimed, glad to see a familiar face that wasn't Kleiver's.

"Where have you chili peppers been?" Sig asked. "The King's been in an uproar. Thought that you went out into the desert and got yourself killed!"

"I was only gone for a few days!" Jak defended himself.

"It doesn't matter in the desert. After a few hours, a missing Wastelander is given up for dead." Sig said. "It's tough, but it's impossible to survive out there for long. So, where have you two been?"

"Vacationing in 'warm, sunny' Haven City." Jak said sarcastically.

"Cold, huh?" Sig asked. "I know what you mean. I helped found Spargus four years ago, then moved into Haven two years ago to work for Krew. Took me quite a while to get readjusted to the weather. So, what are you doing back in Spargus?"

"Artifact hunting." Jak answered.

"Well, this is just the place to do it. Artifacts of every type's out there somewhere. You just have to find 'em." Sig said. "So, what type of artifacts you after?"

"Quantum Reflector, Prism, Holo Cube, Beam Generator… things of that sort." Jak said.

"Holo Cube? Well, you're in luck, cherries. That very artifact has appeared on our scopes. I was about to head out there to get it, but if you prefer…"

"I'll get it." Jak said, jumping into the Sand Shark.

"Now, remember the law of the Wasteland: Finder's Keepers. If you get it first, then it's yours. But the damn Marauders will have spotted it by now. The damn thing's giving off a hell of a lot of energy.

"Thanks, Sig." Jak said. "I'll be back before you know it." The gate of Spargus opened and Jak zoomed out in pursuit of the beeping dot on the vehicle's radar that represented the Holo Cube.

Ten minutes later, Jak had found the Holo Cube, which wasn't exactly far away, and had returned to Spargus. He had to hand it to those Marauders, they were persistent. They had chased him until he reached the Plains of Spargus. Then they turned around and drove back into the desert towards their fort.

Jak pulled into the garage and parked the Sand Shark back in its spot. Daxter picked up the small Holo Cube which vibrated with energy. "So, this thing's gonna activate those old ruins in the forest?"

"I guess." Jak said, staring at the Cube, which did not have any writing on it to give a clue as to what it does. "That's what Samos said."

"Why are these specific ruins so important anyway?" Daxter asked. "We've seen thousands of Precursor ruins and the only thing we've found in them is trouble."

"And something is telling me these ruins will be the source of a lot of trouble." Jak said, staring down at the small, innocent-looking cube. He sighed and pocketed it before jumping out of the Sand Shark and walking into Spargus proper.

Later that afternoon, Jak sat down on the single couch in his 'house.' Daxter flopped down on the space next to him. They were completely worn out.

Jak had been going on forty-eight hours with no sleep, and Daxter, slightly less. "What a day…" Daxter yawned, and Jak quickly followed suit. "But… I think it's time to hit the sack."

Jak was about to agree when someone knocked on the door. Jak sighed in exasperation and got up to answer. He opened the door. "What do you…" He began angrily, but then he trailed off when he saw who it was. It was Damas. "K—King Damas!" Jak gasped, unsure of how to handle the situation. "What—what are you doing her?"

"Just trying to find out where you've been." Damas said calmly. "We don't usually allow our warriors to just disappear without a word to anyone."

"I went to Haven City for a few days." Jak answered.

"Even though you were banished?" Damas asked disbelievingly.

"They lifted my banishment temporarily." Jak explained. "Seems they can't live without me."

"That's not the point!" There was a strange type of anger seeping into Damas' voice. It wasn't anger… more like disappointment… but it wasn't that either. "You can't just go and disappear for several days! We had given you up for dead! We thought that you went out into the Wasteland and died!"

"Well, I didn't die in the Wasteland." Jak said. "So it really isn't a problem."

"Of course it's a problem!" Damas roared. Jak took an involuntary step backwards. "I don't know if you've looked around lately, but there is a lot of strange stuff going on in the world, things have been set in motion that can't be undone!" There was silence for several seconds before Damas sighed. "Just make sure you tell someone before you run off like that again, Jak." With that, Damas left.

Jak was left in complete shock. No one had ever yelled at him like that. Sure, he had to endure plenty of 'telling offs', especially from Samos, but this was different. But he couldn't quite put his finger on how it was different.

"What was that?" Daxter asked.

"You're asking me?" Jak asked. "I have no idea what just happened!"

"My old man used to yell at me like that." Daxter grumbled.

Jak blinked and then stared at Daxter. "What did you just say?"

"What? About my dad yelling at me like that?" Daxter asked. "Sure, I know that tone. It's the 'I-care-about-you-so-don't-do-anything-stupid' tone."

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah, I think."

"You can't be serious!" Jak said. "Why would Damas act that way towards me?"

"Hmm… I don't know. However, it's clear that he's obviously taken a liking to you in a strange 'fatherly' sort of way."

Jak shook his head. "This can be sorted out later. I'm too tired to think, anyway."

Daxter yawned. "Hmm… I guess you're right. We'll probably wake up and find out that was all a dream, anyways."

* * *

(Dream State)

"Your Majesty, you shouldn't! It's suicide!" A strange and unfamiliar voice said. Jak looked around in confusion. He saw two men in shadows, conversing quietly. He couldn't see either of their faces.

"I must do this, you know that." A strangely familiar voice answered. "If I don't face the Metal-Head Leader, all of Haven will suffer for my cowardice."

"I don't understand. Why must it be you?" The other man asked.

"Sometimes…" The King, or Jak was assuming it was a King because he was being called 'Your Majesty'. "The son must pay for the sins of the father. My Greatest Ancestor made a mistake, and now his descendants will have to pay the price."

"A mistake? What mistake?"

"He missed his chance to strike. In a single blow, he could have ended two wars at once. But he was unable."

Jak grew confused. _Two wars? But there was only one war… the Metal-Head War. What was the other war? Could it possibly be the War of the Champions?_ The shadowy men answered his question.

"But the Champion War ended, didn't it?" The man asked. "He didn't kill his opponent, but…"

"It doesn't matter." The King said. "He failed to kill him. So the War has not ended. It has only been postponed until a time when the next Champions in the lines of Champions emerge. Only the sons of the original Champions have the ability to end the wars."

"But… how will killing the Metal-Head Leader help end the war? Wouldn't you have to find Martin's direct descendant and kill him or her?"

"I've looked. But those old records were destroyed or lost. However, the Metal-Heads are merely agents to the greater power behind both Wars. To strike a blow against the Metal-Heads is to strike a blow against pure evil."

"But… your Majesty… what about Anastasia? What about your son? Anastasia's strong, but could she handle your loss? And the boy! He loves you very much, I can see it every time I look at him. I think your loss will be devastating to young Prince Mar."

There was a long pause. "In the event of my… death… will you look after them?"

The man bowed. "Of course, my liege. I will do everything in my power to protect your family."

The King turned to leave and Jak got a horrible feeling in his stomach, like something bad was going to happen. "Wait! Don't go!" Jak yelled after the retreating King. "Wait!" But it was no use. Jak didn't even really exist, so his cries went unnoticed. The King was already gone. Jak fell to his knees, because he finally understood what he had just witnessed. "Father…" It was his biological father, going off to face the Metal-Head Leader, a fight that would end with his father mortally wounded, never to be seen again.

Strange emotions filled Jak, threatening to overwhelm him. Even though Jak hadn't seen his face, it was the first time in living memory that he had seen his father. Unable to think of what else to do in the situation, Jak merely broke down and wept; secretly glad that no one was around to witness his tears.


	29. Hunting For More Artifacts

Jak woke up sometime later, still thinking about the dream. He had limited knowledge of what happened afterwards. But he knew that his father would face the Metal-Head Leader and fail. He would flee, mortally wounded, leaving his wife and son to fend for themselves in Haven City. Obviously, during Praxis' coup, they had gotten separated. Jak would eventually fall into the hands of the Underground, while his mother would disappear without a trace.

Of course, saying the he 'remembered' these things would be a lie. The only things he knew was the things that the Metal-Head Leader told him, and what his dreams told him… if they told him anything at all.

Jak sighed and laid back down on the bed. Not for the first time in his life, he was overcome by extreme self-pity for his own amnesia.

Eventually, Jak sat up and pushed off those feelings. Shit happens, right, and there's really nothing he could do about it. He wasn't even sure how he got his amnesia. Had he bashed his head in as a kid, or had someone purposefully removed those memories? The thought angered Jak that someone would screw around with his memories. Besides, if someone did screw around with his memories, what exactly were they trying to hide from him?

 **'I don't know. Possibly the fact that you CAME FROM THE FUTURE, retard!'** Dark hissed.

Jak growled in annoyance. _You said you could butt in?_

 _'I don't know…'_ Light interjected. _'Things tend to be more complicated then they first appear. There may be a deeper meaning behind the amnesia.'_

 **'He got dropped on his freaking head as a kid! That's the easiest explanation!'** Dark said. **'Case closed!'**

 _I was not dropped on my head!_ Jak began to protest.

 **'You can't really say that, now, can you?'** Dark pointed out.

Jak shook his head. _I am not getting dragged into an argument with you!_

 _'Maybe someone was trying to hide you from your true identity?'_ Light suggested.

_My identity?_

_'Yes, your real name. For all we know, 'Jak' is just something to call you by until you discover your true name. Right now, the only name you really have is Prince Mar.'_

_I don't want to be known a 'Prince' anything! As far as I'm concerned, my father was the King, but the royal line ends there!_

_'So… you are 'Mar', then?'_

Jak laughed sourly. _People already give me strange looks when I tell them my name is Jak. If I started going by 'Mar', they'd probably stone me or… burn me at the stake or something._

 _'Why would they burn you? I thought that form of punishment was obsolete.'_ Light pointed out.

_Never mind._

**'Man, Pussy, you're a dumbass too!'** Dark commented.

Jak ignored the voices. Whether having two alter-egos is a blessing or a curse… he'd never figure it out. Sure, they gave him the physical ability that exceeded any elf, but at the rate things are going… they'd likely drive him insane before long…

 _'Did you ever realize how similar I look to a Precursor?'_ Light asked suddenly.

Jak sighed. Too late.

There was a loud yawn and Jak looked down to see that Daxter, who slept at the foot of the bed, was waking up. "Jak?" He asked, his eyes still half closed in sleep. "You awake already? It can't even be five o'clock in the morning. Why are you up at this ungodly hour?"

"Nothing." Jak said. "Strange dreams… my stupid alter-egos… you know."

"Same old stuff, then?"

"Sure." Jak said, getting out of the bed and stretching briefly before he began to search for something to wear.

"Care to spill?"

"No." Jak answered simply as he pulled a shirt over his head.

"Coming over as all mysterious, are we?" Daxter asked.

Jak growled, but didn't make any intelligent response. Finally, Daxter seemed to have some sense knocked into him as he stopped trying to push Jak's buttons. (A dangerous game as the wrong move could bring you face-to-face with a demon.)

Jak ignored his friend's presence and continued to dress, strapping on armor as he found it. Finally, when things were all set, he roughly grabbed the small rat and walked out the door and into the early morning air.

However, he almost instantly ran into Sig. "Oh, hey, cherries, I was just on my way to wake you up."

"Well, I'm already awake." Jak pointed out the obvious. "So, what is it?"

"I heard that you're collecting Eco crystals." Sig said.

Jak shrugged. "I've got a few."

"Well, I've heard that there's a Light Eco Crystal in the Metal-Head nest, and it's yours if you want it."

"What's the catch?" Daxter asked.

"Well, the scopes have shown that Metal-Heads have moved there _en masse_." Sig said.

"See?" Daxter asked Jak. "There's a catch! There's always a catch!"

"What kind of Metal-Heads?" Jak asked.

"These are the big-type Metal-Heads: Metal-Pedes." Sig said.

Jak blinked. He had only encountered the Metal-Pede type once before, and it hadn't exactly been a victory. Though Jak had escaped that hell by the skin of his teeth, Sig had gone missing, presumed dead. "What?"

"Hey, so you remember those over-sized lizards." Sig said. "Don't worry, though. The weapons on our Gila Stomper will be more than enough to tear through that Metal-Head's hide."

"Just one thing… can I drive this time?" Jak asked, assuming that Sig was going.

"Sorry, cherries. Maybe next time." Sig said. "Now, let's go get those Metal-Heads!"

* * *

Five imploded Metal-Pedes later and Sig drove the vehicle out of the Nest while Jak tucked the Crystal way. Daxter sat in the cargo hold with Sig's PeaceMaker.

Sig laughed loudly. "I LOVE the smell of burnt Metal-Head in the morning!"

Jak looked over at the larger elf. "So, Sig, what's Damas got to do with Haven City?"

"If Damas hasn't told you, then I'm not either." Sig said. "That's his business."

"Oh yeah, then what was all that spying you were doing in Haven City for Damas, huh?" Daxter asked.

"Well, let's just say that Damas lost a little something in the City, and he wanted me to find it." Sig said.

"So… working for Krew… that was an act?" Jak asked.

"Sure." Sig said. "But once the infighting started, I left for Spargus."

"So that's where you went." Jak said. "We could've used your help."

"Sorry, cherries, but my job was to find Damas' lost… item and nothing more." Sig said.

"But that's playing with people's lives!" Jak protested.

"Why not? They played with my life!" Sig looked over at Jak in surprise. "Why do you care, man? Haven folk are a bunch of weaklings, you know that. They lost the war before it even started."

"So… what do we do now?" Jak asked.

"Just keep your nose clean and be on the winning side." Sig said.

"And which side is that?"

"The one on top of the pile." Sig said, then he added. "Unfortunately… it's gonna be a big pile."

"Yeah, a big pile of—should I cock this?" Daxter asked, holding up Sig's Peacemaker.

The two elves ignored him. "Just keep your head down and do as you're told. I'll tell you when the action's coming." With that, Sig drove the Gila Stomper back towards Spargus.

They pulled into Spargus and found Kliever talking about his latest 'adventures' out in the Wasteland.

"You know," Sig said. "Kliever may be a fat bastard, but he might know where you can find your artifacts."

Jak nodded and jumped out of the vehicle.

Kliever looked over at Jak. "Ah, it's the ankle-biters. What do ya what this time?"

"I'm looking for some very… special Precursor artifacts." Jak said.

"What type of artifacts?"

"A Prism… a Quantum Reflector…"

"Quantum Reflector? What a tick. I think I just sold that very artifact… to a nice band of Metal-Heads."

"Metal-Heads?" Jak demanded. Ever since he found out that the Baron traded with the Metal-Heads, Jak had a special reason to distrust anyone who would trade with those monsters.

"Hey, don't look at me like that. A man's gotta eat, don't he? It was an ugly piece of hardware. Looked like a crocadog's breakfast to me. But those toothers paid handsomely. Good ivories, they had; you know, if ya dig fangs and claws. If you really want a Reflector all that badly, you and the offsider here could jump in a buggy and catch 'em."

Sig nodded. "I'll drive. Jak, you get on the gun." Jak nodded without complaint. "Daxter…" Daxter perked, ready for his orders. "Just get in, sit down, and shut up."

Daxter glared angrily at Sig and Jak couldn't help a quick laugh as they jumped into the Gila Stomper and took off into the desert in pursuit of the Metal-Heads.

* * *

Finally, the last of the Metal-Heads fell to the ground and ate burning hot sand as it died. The strange-looking Quantum Reflector fell out of the Metal-Head's grip as it died. Sig pulled up next to it, Jak jumped out and picked up the strange hardware.

"Only the Prism and the Beam Generator left." Jak said, returning to the vehicle so they could drive back to Spargus. The sun was just rising in the east.

As soon as they pulled into the Spargain Gates and jumped out, Kliever met them. "So, ya got the Quantum Reflector?"

"Yeah, no thanks to you." Jak said.

"Hey, I'm just doing me job. And, speaking of jobs, Damas wants to see you in the Throne Room about a job."

"Okay, come on, Dax." Jak walked away, followed by Sig. Daxter lingered behind.

"You know, rat, your lanky friend won't always be around to protect you, and when that day comes…" Kliever let his threat hang.

"Screw you, Mr. Krew-Wanna-Be!" Daxter said. "Jak will always be there for me!"

Kliever laughed like he knew something Daxter didn't, and walked away. Daxter shrugged and took off after his best buddy in the whole world.

Jak walked into the Throne Room, followed by Daxter and saw Damas sitting quietly on the stairs that led up to the throne, apparently deep in thought.

Jak approached slowly as to not surprise him. He knew better than anyone that you shouldn't surprise a seasoned warrior unless you're looking for a fight.

Finally, Damas spoke. "Keeping people alive out here, keeping them full of hope… it can be daunting."

Jak sat down on the step next to the powerful King. "I… I think you've made a good life here."

"You, too, must make a life for yourself, Jak." Damas said. "I've heard the stories about you. Fate and destiny weigh heavily upon you, forcing you into a single direction that has only one possible outcome." Damas grabbed some sand off the ground. "Look, sand cannot keep a shape by itself, but add water… and it becomes malleable. Fate can be such… if you add the right element."

Jak looked away, thinking. Then he brightened up as the answer came to him. He looked back to the Sand King. "Eco!"

Damas laughed. "Our minds think alike. We are surprisingly similar, both men who are burdened by the weight of fate and obligation. My monks have told me that Armageddon is here. But I am a survivor! I say we live on long after this world dies!" Damas stood up and Jak stood up also. "Be ready. You are shaping up to be one of my finest warriors. I'll need you for the trials that lie ahead…" Damas paused, and then looked off into the distance, a distinct sorrow clouding his eyes. "I mustn't lose you like I lost… my son."

Jak blinked and then looked up at the Desert King in surprise. "You had a son?"

"Years ago. But much has been sacrificed in this war so that others may live. Anyway… it matters not." Damas moved up to the throne and sat down. "We are having serious trouble with the Marauders lately. We've received word that a large battalion of their warriors is heading this way on a warpath to Spargus. I want you to drive out and meet them." Damas stood up from the throne. "Go, and make war your own!"

* * *

After the warriors were destroyed, as a bonus, Jak had found a Beam Generator in the wreckage of one of the Marauder vehicles. And Daxter was trying to make conversation, as usual.

"So… Damas had a son once?" Daxter asked.

"That's what he said." Jak said.

"Maybe this explains why he's so nice to you." Daxter mused. "You're sort of… for lack of a better word… a replacement for his lost son."

"I hope not. I don't want to be a replacement for a boy who's probably dead. If at all possible, I'd like to find my own father." Jak paused. "Although I do respect Damas…"

"What?" Daxter asked, amazed. Jak had never respected any authority figures, except perhaps Samos. Jak did what people told him to do, but those people couldn't boast that Jak respected them.

"I respect Damas a lot more than a do other people." Jak said. "He's a great King."

"You're just saying that cause he's taken a liking to you."

"That's not the only reason. Besides… I think it's kind of nice to be treated this way. Is this what it feels like to be someone's son?" Jak wondered out loud.

"That's a crime that you don't know what it feels like to be someone's son." Daxter commented.

Jak shook his head. "But… how am I supposed to act? I have no idea what to do."

"Don't worry, buddy. You'll know what to do, soon enough." Daxter said.

Suddenly, just as Spargus came into view, Jak's old communicator activated. "Jak." It was Seem. "We need your help."

Jak blinked. Those were five words that he never expected Seem to say. He couldn't help asking. "Are you feeling all right?"

"No, it makes me sick having to stoop so low as to ask for your tainted, unholy help." Seem said.

That was more like it. "So, what is it this time, Seem?"

"After the Marauder attack on Spargus, we believe it would be folly to not respond in kind." Seem said. "Your unholy powers are an abomination, but they do give you the ability to storm the Marauder fort alone. Go to the Marauder fort and… 'thank' them for their gifts of fire." Seem paused. "You shall be rewarded for your efforts. But don't let that make you believe that we like you."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Jak growled, showing just how much he hated the strange monk. Seem ignored Jak's obvious rage and discontinued the connection.

"I don't get it, Jak. You've walked and talked with the Precursors. Why can't she at least be civil to you?"

"Because, to her, I'm nothing but an out-of-control monster." Jak said without hesitation.


	30. The Happy Return to Haven City

Now that Jak had the artifacts that Samos wanted him to get, he was now free to return to Haven City, so he pulled out the small holographic communicator.

"Jak?" Torn answered. "Ready to come back already? That was... fast."

"I've got all the stuff." Jak said. "You can send the transport now. I don't want to have to go through the Catacombs, the Eco Mine, and the Sewers again."

"Sure, but it's going to take an hour to get a transport out there." Torn said.

"No problem." Jak said. "I'll wail until then."

Torn nodded stiffly and disconnected the signal. Jak sighed and pocketed the hologram transmitter. He then grabbed a worn bag and began to place the old Precursor artifacts in the bag, inspecting each one before it was placed. He remembered Samos teaching him about the various Precursor artifacts, but these particular artifacts had unknown uses. No one could figure out what the Precursors used them for.

This brought up another interesting question. If no one knew what they were for, how could Samos know that these specific artifacts would activate the ruins in Haven Forest?

 _Maybe..._ Jak assured himself. _Samos found some old records that name the artifacts necessary to turn them on._

Daxter sat and watched his friend as if he had nothing better to do than to stare at him. After several seconds, he asked: "A penny for your thoughts?"

"Shut up." Jak hissed, annoyed. He hated that question.

* * *

Almost an hour later, Jak walked into the Garage, where he was immediately confronted by Kliever. "And where do you little ankle-biters think you're going?"

Daxter growled from his usual spot on Jak's shoulder. "None of your business, fatty!"

"Dax!" Jak snapped. The last thing he needed right now was more enemies. Not that Kliever was a friend. They mostly just tolerated each other. "Will you tell Damas that I'm going to be gone for several days?"

"Certainly." Kliever said with false enthusiasm. "Don't want to end up in trouble like last time, eh?"

"Sure." Jak said, pulling down his goggles and pulling up his scarf in preparation for going out into the desert. He added in a whisper: "Like you'd really be able to do anything to me besides yell if I got into trouble." Daxter snorted upon hearing Jak's comment.

While Daxter laughed at Jak's comment, the elf pulled out Keira's JetBoard, which would be his transportation to the Haven transport.

He felt himself choke up slightly as he looked down at his girlfriend's invention. But he quickly cleared his throat. The last thing he needed right now was for Daxter or Kliever to hear him go all emotional.

With the press of a button, the JetBoard expanded to full size, exposing the small anti-gravity engines that kept it aloft. With practiced ease, Jak jumped onto the Board and took off, out the Spargus main gate, and out into the deadly Wasteland.

It didn't take long for Jak to find the transport to Haven. The blue-armored vehicle stood out like a sore thumb against the yellow and orange color-scheme of the desert. As he approached, the back door opened and Jak stepped into the empty hold. The door closed and they took off.

The air conditioner was on, bringing a loud growl from Jak's throat. He pulled out the old, worn trench coat, which he had on him, and threw it on... warming him slightly.

Jak growled again. How he hated the cold.

* * *

Within an hour, the transport landed and the door opened into Haven City Port, just as he left it days ago. The action had calmed down somewhat, but there were still minor fights going on near the Metal-Head border and the Death Bot border. The water below gleamed with the multicolor of the pollution; through, in Ashelin's defense, the pollution was considerably less than when the Baron was in charge.

Daxter, who had been driving Jak crazy by asking: "Are we there yet?" Every five minutes, followed the elf out of the transport.

Jak looked at the western horizon, which was painted pink with dusk... night was falling.

He looked away and began to jog over to the Naughty Ottsel, leaving Daxter behind.

Daxter sighed and slumped off after him. "Can't you ever walk?" He grumbled.

Jak strolled into the bar and instantly saw that Torn and Jinx, who was constantly surrounded by a cloud of smoke from the rancid cigars he smoked, were sitting at the bar. Jak walked over and they looked up. "Jak! Just the man we need!" Torn said. "We may have a way to break down that last barrier and link up with our friends at HQ! Jinx, here, has a plan!"

"Hey, Jakkie-Boy!" Jinx punched Jak lightly on the shoulder in a friendly sort of way. "I think I've got a boomer of a plan here."

"I'll bet it involves blowing something up." Jak said. "Just a guess." Jak knew that what Jinx loved more than anything was to blow stuff up.

"Great guess, Pretty-Boy. You know those nasty Blast Bots you've seen around?" Jinx asked, and Jak nodded. "Well, I've managed to capture one! Don't ask, I'll show you the scars later." Jak rolled his eyes in exasperation. "I've linked it to this remote control..." Jinx held up said remote. "And added even more explosives than the standard package."

"Jak," Torn took over. "We need you to use the remote to direct the Bot into the KG City section. Get it as close as you can to the force field, and then detonate it. That will punch a hole in their defenses and allow us to hook up with our friends."

Jak snatched the remote from Jinx. It was actually quite simple. The KG Bots and the Metal-Heads along the way didn't see anything out of the ordinary about a Blast Bot. The hardest thing by far was the Blast Bot's distinct lack of mobility. The thing handled like a one-legged Leaper Lizard, but after several minutes and plenty of patience (Which was harder for Jak) the Blast Bot moved up to the force field and, with the push of a button, the Bot exploded, taking out the force field with it.

Back in the Naughty Ottsel, Jak grinned and tossed the remote onto the bar. "Mission accomplished."

"Great job, Jak!" Torn praised. "Now we can hook up with our friends at HQ! I'll get on the horn and tell them the good news!" Torn leapt over the bar to reach the phone. "You're the man, Jak! _You_ are the man!"

"Now that we've cleared that up..." Jak said. "If you don't mind, I'm heading over to New Haven. Come on, Dax."

"Okay, okay, Casanova, let's go." Daxter said, with a small giggle.

Jak stopped mid-stride, and then slowly turned around to face Daxter. Torn and Jinx laughed quietly in the background. Everyone knew that the one reason that Jak was eager to get back to Head Quarters was because of Keira. "Don't. Ever. Call. Me. That!" Jak said brokenly through clenched teeth.

"Call you what? Casanova?" Daxter asked innocently. Jak growled loudly. "Yep. I guess that's the one."

Jak decided that it would be best to ignore the situation and he walked out, Daxter following close behind.

* * *

Soon, Jak had driven his way over thousands of Metal-Heads and/or Death Bots on his way to New Haven. He had only been in New Haven once or twice after it was completed before his banishment, so he had a general idea of where everything was. Even with his limited knowledge of the area, Jak was able to find the new Freedom League Head Quarters. It was the tallest building in New Haven, after all.

Jak walked up to the elevator shaft that would take him to the control room. A short elevator ride later dumped the duo out at the control room. At first glance, Jak saw that Ashelin, Samos, Onin, and Pecker were already there.

Pecker was the first to notice their presence. "Finally, you've decided to grace us with your presence! What took you two so long?"

"Sorry." Jak said sarcastically. "We only had a war in the way."

Ashelin moved over to Jak. "Jak..." Ashelin said. "It is so good to see that you are all right and alive. Allow me to be the first to officially apologize for the City."

Jak waved her off. "Forget it. I've got my own interest in this."

"Jak, my boy, it's good to have you back." Samos said warmly.

"Oh, Samos, I've got the artifacts you wanted me to get." Jak said.

Samos blinked. "What artifacts?"

Jak was the next to blink. "The... the artifacts... you told me to get..." Silence. "For the ruins..." Silence. "The Prism... the Quantum Reflector?"

"I'm sorry, my boy, but I never told you to get any artifacts." Samos said.

Jak was going to press the matter when suddenly... "Jak!"

Jak blinked again, and then spun around. The most welcome sight that he had ever seen was there before him. Keira framed the doorway. "Oh no." Daxter groaned, jumping off Jak's shoulder. A wise move, considering that he knew what was going to happen next.

"Keira!" Jak yelled. The two elves rushed at each other, unable to contain themselves for more than a few seconds. It had been months since they had been in the same place without a force field separating them. Keira tackled her boyfriend, and he easily caught her. Then, without wasting a single second, they were kissing each other wildly.

Everyone else in the room looked away from the reunited couple, especially Samos and Ashelin. But Onin didn't shift her 'gaze'. She just continued to smile in her creepy way like she could see the two reunited elves, and fully approved of them.

"So..." Ashelin began, clearing her throat in embarrassment. "How was it out in the Wasteland?" She was desperate to talk about something that didn't involve the young elves.

"Uh... hot... sandy, hot, sandy, and did I mention hot and sandy?" Daxter asked.

"I think you have." Samos said. "And wouldn't it be a given that a desert is hot and sandy? I've never heard of one that's not."

"Be quiet, yer old log-head! Wait until I tell ya all about my adventures in the Wasteland!" Everyone rolled their eyes. Onin, who still seemed to have her attention focused on the two reunited elves, smiled even more broadly. An effect that was creepy. "So, there I was, facing a whole brood of slobbering Metal-Heads, when..."

"Yeah right." Pecker hissed.

Daxter rounded on Pecker. "Hey! There really was a brood of slobbering Metal-Heads! Jak'll tell you! Ain't that right, Jak?" Silence. "I said 'ain't that right, Jak'?" Daxter looked around to where Jak had been several seconds earlier, only to find the space empty. "Hey! Where's Jak?"

Everyone who had been dutifully ignoring him, suddenly looked around. "He's gone." Pecker said nonchalantly.

"Well, wasn't someone watching?" Ashelin demanded.

It was at that moment that Onin began signing and everyone looked at her. It took several seconds, and then Pecker yelled. "Oh God! I didn't need to know that! You keep that stuff to yourself, woman!"

"What? What did she say?" Daxter asked.

"Well, she said... uh... oh God, I can't say it. It's too much to think about. I'm gonna have nightmares." Pecker sighed. "Okay, she says that Jak left the room a short while ago, and that Ms. Hagai snuck off with him."

Ashelin looked around the room and counted heads. "You're right. Keira's gone too."

"And... well... uh... let's just say... no, I can't say it." Pecker said.

But Daxter, being the dirty little animal he is, guessed what Pecker meant. "You mean...? Oh no! We've got to find them!" Daxter yelled as Torn walked in. "We've got to search Keira's room, any spare bedroom, or even a closet!"

"What's going on here?" Torn demanded.

"Jak and Keira have gone missing!" Daxter yelled. "And, knowing Jak like I do, they're going to... you know..."

"If you're thinking about finding them, than that's impossible." Torn said, shaking his head.

"What? Why?" Daxter demanded.

"Because... when we designed this place, we put locks on every door... and every room is completely soundproof." Torn said.

Daxter blinked, and blinked again. "You're joking, right?"

"No, I'm afraid I'm not." Torn said.


	31. How Jak Lost Something

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains a Jak/Keira sex scene. The very first sex scene I ever wrote. So sorry if it's complete junk.

Silence...

An empty room, with little more than a bed and a small restroom, waited for someone to occupy it again.

Quite suddenly, the room's wishes came true. The door slammed open and a young couple moved clumsy into the room. Clumsy because they were making out wildly, and neither was watching where the other was going.

It was Jak and Keira and he quickly took one hand off his girlfriend to close and lock the door. At the sound of the lock clicking, Keira pulled away from her boyfriend.

"Jak..." Keira said quietly. "I've missed you so much!"

"I know." Jak said soothingly. "But we're finally together again." He began to kiss her again, not only on the lips, but he landed kisses on every inch of her skin that he could reach. After a few seconds, he pulled away quite suddenly. "I won't let anything come between us again... I promise."

"I know." Keira said. "I love you."

Jak smiled. "God, I've missed hearing you say that in person." Jak pulled the she-elf he loved into a tight embrace. "I love you, too."

Keira pressed herself into his embrace, merely content to feel him there, to know that this was real, and it wasn't a dream.

They stayed this way for several seconds before Keira pulled out of Jak's embrace. You see, Jak's hands had developed a mind of their own so, without willing them, they had been moving down Keira's back until they were a little too low for comfort. And Keira, inexperienced as she was, had panicked.

A few seconds later, Jak seemed to realize what had happened. "Oh God..." He backed away from her. "Keira... I didn't mean to... It was an accident..."

"Jak..." Keira caught his attention. "Don't worry. It wasn't your fault. I shouldn't have panicked."

"No! I shouldn't have done anything to make you feel uncomfortable." Jak said.

"Jak, don't worry!" Keira repeated, taking a step closer to the elf. "I love you, more than life itself. And, when you love someone, you trust them." Another step. "I trust you, Jak."

"Keira?"

"I've known for so long how you felt about me." Keira said with a small laugh. "How could you not? You are a normal guy, after all. Ever since Carla's house, that day long ago, I've known what you wanted from me. Only... I was too scared. I was scared of where that would lead... of the consequences. Scared to take that step... even with you."

"Keira?" Jak repeated. "What are you saying?"

"What I'm trying to say is... I love you and..." A long pause. "I'm not scared anymore."

Jak didn't move for several seconds before he smiled lovingly. No further words were exchanged on the subject... only a silent agreement of love and lust.

He embraced her and began to kiss her, a slow, loving movement. They maneuvered over to the bed and fell onto it, Jak on top of Keira as they continued to make out.

And then Jak pulled away and tore off his trench coat, tossing it aside. Keira noticed that Jak hesitated slightly before removing his armor, tossing it aside with a loud clang, and pulling off his shirt, disregarding it also.

Keira couldn't help but marvel at her lover's body. It the years of combat had done one good thing, it would be that it gave Jak a toned and muscular body that was incredibly sexy. Jak smiled slightly at the look on Keira's face before he rejoined his mouth with hers.

After a few seconds, Jak pulled away slightly, lightly bit her ear, and then whispered. "It's your turn, now."

Keira didn't hesitate to pull her own shirt off, aided by Jak. After fumbling with the clasp on her bra for a short second, he managed to get it off and it was tossed aside to join the rest of the forgotten clothes on the ground.

Jak couldn't help but stare at Keira's body as she had stared at him. He was sure that he'd never understand the wonders of a she-elf's body. How was it that her skin could remain so soft when she spent most of her time working on zoomers and other machinery. Jak was sure he'd never know, and he really didn't care at the moment.

Then the first of many odd things that would happen that night happened. Keira reached up to wrap her arms around her lover's upper body, but Jak blocked her hands and moved them away from his back. But he made her forget this oddity almost instantly by pressing a passionate kiss to her lips.

Jak moved down from her mouth and began to nip and suck on her neck. Keira knew that he would leave a mark, but she didn't really care either. The feeling of skin against skin was overwhelming her senses. Everything seemed to be fogging and heating up. A knot was tying itself in the pit of her stomach, and it was driving her crazy.

Jak was in a similar position. His own lust was driving him equally crazy, it was quite literally pushing him over the edge. Finally, after what seemed like ages to the young couple, Jak pulled away one last time so he could remove the rest of his clothes and help her with hers.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, they were both completely naked. "Are you nervous?" Keira asked suddenly as he hovered over her.

"A little." Jak answered tenderly. He took her hand in his and pressed it against his bare chest.

Keira laughed. "Your heart's beating really fast."

"Keira... before we do this..." Jak said. "I want you to know that I love you, and I would die before I hurt you."

"I know." Keira breathed, running her fingers through her lover's hair.

There was a slight pause before Jak spoke again. "Say my name."

Keira stared at her lover in surprise for a second. He just smiled in embarrassment. "What?" She asked.

His embarrassed smile turned into a lazy one. "Say my name." He repeated. "I like hearing you say it."

Keira smiled, wondering if this was one of Jak's strange fantasies. If it was, it was the strangest one she's ever heard of. But she was willing to humor him, given the circumstances. "Jak." She breathed as he smiled and continued his loving caresses. "Jak..." As if the second time she said his name was the cue, he plunged into her, drawing a gasp from both lovers as their virginity died and went to hell. It would not be missed. He stayed still, giving them both time to adjust to the strange, but pleasurable situation. After a few seconds, Keira looked up at him, her eyes full of love and trust. "Jak..." She breathed one final time.

That was the cue. Jak rejoined his lips with hers in a hungry manner as he began to move to the ancient rhythm that is embedded in the blood of every elf. Not that it was completely perfect, by all means. This was their very first time, and it did lead to some rather embarrassing situations, and it did take a while to get the rhythm down. Another source of embarrassment was Jak's apparent vendetta against Keira touching his back. Every time she tried, he would stop and gently guide her hands away. Keira figured that this was one of Jak's strange quirks that she'd have to get used to. So she stopped trying.

But once they got used to the rhythm and each other's quirks, they were left to marvel at the pleasure assault on their senses. Only one goal remained: enjoy the feelings that intoxicated them to their fullest.

It seemed to the lovers, that an eternity had passed, and neither was sure just how much time passed when Jak drove the she-elf over the first pleasure peak.

She let out a cry as the pleasure rippled through her body.

Jak, upon hearing the cry that came from his lover's lips, pulled away in fear, afraid that he had hurt her. His own experience told him that when people cry out, it is because they are in pain. It was unheard of, to him, that people cry our in pleasure too.

Keira, however, was completely unhurt, and rather upset that he had pulled out. So she merely pulled him back in. "Don't stop." She breathed heavily.

"Are you sure?" Jak asked, gasping slightly.

"Yes."

So, he continued their love-making, and soon discovered why Keira had cried out like that. He felt the pleasure flow through his body and voiced his own cry of pleasure. But something in his instincts told him that this was not the climax and to keep going.

It seemed a lifetime had gone by... a lifetime that was filled with pure, intoxicating pleasure and love. Finally, the orgasm hit both elves full force at about the same time. Both lovers let loose howls of pleasure as the orgasm rippled through their bodies like wild-fire, a feeling that completely consumed them with its mind-numbing effects.

Finally, when the last of her screams died in his ears, Jak pulled away, panting heavily and sweating from the exertion of their love-making.

Keira gasped for breath, her heart still seemed to be going a mile-a-minute. Jak rolled off her and lay on the bed beside her, both remained silent as they allowed each other to recover from their love-making.

Keira pressed herself up against his sweaty body, just for the feeling of having the one she loved so intimately close. Jak looked down at her and smiled thickly, even as his chest heaved for breath. "I love you, Jak." Keira breathed.

Jak didn't answer verbally, he merely turned on his side and put his arms around Keira's body, holding her closer to his body as if she'd disappear if he ever let go of her.

Keira smiled and pressed her herself fully into Jak's embrace. She loved the way it felt when their bodies were pressed together, like two puzzle-pieces that fit together perfectly.

Then, listening to the ever-steady beating of Jak's heart, Keira calmly fell asleep.

Almost as soon as she fell asleep in his arms, the old walls broke down for the first time since he almost died of Dark Eco Poisoning, and he wept. But these were not the tears of pain or sorrow, but tears of liberation and joy. He thanked the Gods, though he wasn't even religious anymore, that he had met and fallen in love with Keira. And, even better, that she loved him just as much as he loved her.

It was then, with Keira's prone laying trustingly in his arms, that Jak swore to whatever god was listening that if anyone tried to tear himself and Keira apart, he would tear them apart! He'd make them suffer so much that hell itself would seem pleasant in comparison. If someone tried to take Keira away from him... he'd kill them.

* * *

(Morning)

Keira woke up slowly, and she smiled to herself as she felt Jak's warm body still there, his body heat surrounding her, reminding her of the heat and passion of the night before.

Slowly, she opened her eyes to find that Jak was already awake and smiling down at her. His smile almost made her melt. "Morning, beautiful." He said softly.

"Jak..." Keira stretched briefly, wrapping her arms around Jak's neck and playing with the stray hairs at the base of his head, something that Jak allowed. "You're still here."

"Of course." Jak said. "How could I leave you to enjoy this beautiful morning by yourself? Besides, I can't abandon the one I love."

"I think you proved just how much you love me last night." Keira said with a sexy smile.

"Oh! Last night!" Jak exclaimed. "Keira, last night was absolutely amazing!"

"I agree." Keira said, pressing her body up against him. "Last night is not a night that I'll soon forget."

"God, Keira, I can't ever fathom how much I love you." Jak said. "And I think it's safe to say that our 'we're just friends' or our 'brother/sister' relationships are officially over."

"I definitely don't mind that." Keira said. "I don't think I could be happy if you are anything but my lover."

"I can live with that... for now." Jak added quietly, mainly to himself.

"What?"

"Oh... nothing."

Keira stared at Jak. She was sure that he had just said 'for now.' Did that mean what she thought he meant? Did he want even more than this new level of love that they achieved last night? Could it be? Was he thinking about marriage?

Jak noticed the look on Keira's face. "Don't worry about that, my love." He said. "Let's just deal with the here and now."

"Hmm..." Keira smiled. "Sounds like a plan." She pulled the elf into a deep and passionate kiss, which he didn't protest in the slightest.

And then Jak rolled over slightly, positioning his upper body above hers. Once in this position, he moved away from her mouth and down her neck, nipping and sucking at her skin as he saw fit. Then he bit the sensitive skin where her neck met her shoulder, leaving a light bite mark over one that had been left there the night before.

Keira laughed. "You're so evil." She said with pretend anger as he continued to bite at her skin.

Jak stopped biting her and looked up at her. "I try." He resumed biting her.

Keira giggled, despite herself. "What are you, a vampire?" No response, only more biting. "Jak?" The biting didn't stop. "Jak! Stop it!" But there was no real anger in her voice.

Jak looked up innocently. "What?"

"Stop ignoring me." Keira breathed, moving his face away from her neck and back to her mouth.

Once Keira let him go, Jak pulled away with a sexy grin. "I'm never going to get you off me again, huh?"

"Not that you mind." Keira pointed out.

Jak laughed, a real laugh. "Guilty as charged." There was a pause. "Okay, not that this hasn't been fun, but it's time that we get up. I think our little disappearing act caused quite a sensation yesterday."

"I'm sure everyone is going to suspect what we've done." Keira said.

"Screw them." Jak said, giving her a short kiss. He started to get up, and then paused. "Keira, I know this is going to sound weird, but would you please look away?"

He was right, his request did sound weird. "Jak, I know what you look like." She said.

"Please, Keira, just trust me." Jak said.

Keira didn't say anything, she only looked away as Jak asked. Jak got up and quickly found his shirt. Pulling it on over his head, then he turned his attention back to Keira. "You can look now if you want."

Keira looked around and was surprised to see that the only article of clothing Jak had put on was his shirt. "Wow, that's a first. A man who's modest about his upper body, and not his lower." Keira said, but inside, she was troubled. That settled it. There was something about him that he didn't want her to see. Something about his back... But she wasn't about to press him about it. Keira looked on as Jak finished getting dressed.

"Who's room is this, anyway?" Jak asked.

"Don't worry, we didn't steal some random person's room. This is where I've been forced to live since your banishment." Keira said.

Then Jak voiced something that had worried him since last night. "What if someone... who know... heard us? That would be far more embarrassing than if someone just found out what we had done."

"Don't worry about that either." Keira laughed. "I overheard Torn talking the other day. These walls are completely soundproof. If there was an Ele-Beast stomping around outside this room, we wouldn't be able to hear it, or visa-versa."

Jak stared at Keira for several seconds. "That is, without a doubt, the best thing I've ever heard in my whole life!" Then he noticed that Keira wasn't getting out of bed. "Aren't you getting up?"

Keira laughed. "Last night, you couldn't wait to get my clothes off, and you can't wait for me to put them back on?"

"Not that I don't appreciate your body..." Jak said. "But you shouldn't walk around naked. I couldn't stand the thought of everyone seeing what only I've seen."

"Stop it, I'm joking." Keira laughed, getting up and beginning her search for her abandoned clothes.


	32. Finding A Way Into The Factory

As Jak, Keira right beside him and lovingly holding his hand, walked through the hallways of the Freedom League Head Quarters, the lovers were confronted by Daxter.

"Well, good morning, you two." Daxter said with a large boyish grin. His eyes glancing from Jak, to Keira, and then to their interlocking hands. "You two disappeared rather early. Did you have a very... 'productive' night?"

As much as Jak loved Keira, he wasn't about to admit to Daxter what they had done. He was sure than Daxter would tease him forever, or get mad at him. Either way, Daxter would never find out. Besides, Daxter had the loosest tongue in Haven City. If Daxter found out that he slept with Keira last night, it was possible that everyone they knew would know by nightfall. There were people that Jak definitely didn't want to find out... Samos for one. If Samos ever found out that Jak had slept with his only daughter before marriage... let's just say that everyone in the City would hear the screams.

So, Jak did the only thing he could do... he lied. "You are a dirty little animal, you know that? I was just tired after all this recent crap. Is it a crime to go to bed early?"

"Oh? Keira at the same exact time?" Daxter asked disbelievingly.

"Sure, why not?" Keira asked. She understood as well as Jak why Daxter couldn't find out about them becoming lovers.

"Yeah right." Daxter said. "You two are such bad liars."

"Daxter!" Jak growled, deciding that the only way to shut Daxter up was to go dangerous. "Nothing happened!" He hissed through gritted teeth.

Daxter backed away. He had a healthy respect for just how dangerous his friend could be. He also didn't want to piss Jak off so much that he turned Dark because Dark had a rather large grudge against him for a small 'homosexual' comment. "Okay, okay, nothing happened! Just calm down before you lose it and kill again!"

Jak calmed down almost instantly. "Good, now that we are on the same page..."

"Oh, Jak! You just missed it!" Daxter said, suddenly remembering why he had been looking to see if Jak was done with Keira yet. (He still believed that Jak got some, he just wasn't going to say it out loud.) "A few minutes ago... HQ was attacked!"

"What?" Jak demanded. He felt Keira grab onto his arm, probably out of fear and worry.

"Yeah, it was a KG Bot force!" Daxter exclaimed. "And you missed it!"

"So, it's already been taken care of?" Jak asked.

"Sure, Torn and Ashelin sent out some Freedoms. I tell you what, a lot of them were killed or seriously injured in the assault."

Without another word, Jak took off down the hallway, leaving Keira and Daxter behind. Keira watched him go... willing with all her might to stop the tears from coming. He was running away again. He had given her a night she would never forget, and at the first sign of trouble... he was running away.

It made Keira wonder... would he forever be running away? Would he always be fighting his various enemies? What if he died? The thought was more than Keira could bare.

Daxter happened to notice the look on Keira's face. "So, you sure nothing happened?" Keira ignored him. "Cause I don't disapprove of your relationship anymore. You two are sort of like those old Precursor 'soul-mates'."

Daxter caught Keira's attention now with the mention of the ancient lovers. Precursors did not 'marry' as we think about it, nor did they have any formal ceremony of binding. Instead, they had soul-mates. Every Precursor had a soul-mate, another Precursor that they would love more than life itself. In fact, their very existence depended on their soul-mates. It was not uncommon for one to die when their mate died... grieving to death over the ones that meant everything to them. All a Precursor had to do was find their soul-mate, and then they would know instantly. They became soul-mates for the rest of their lives. Soul-mates were more than just lovers... they were connected on a deeper level... a complete melding of two souls into one.

It was nice to think of herself and Jak as soul-mates... if not a little disturbing. If they were, somehow, soul-mates, then their very existence was dependent on the other. That meant, if Jak died, Keira would grieve to death, simply unable to live on without him. But that wasn't enough in Elvin society to constitute marriage. Until you got married legally, you were just a couple... not husband and wife.

That last thought only made Keira think about what Jak had said that morning. 'I can live with that... for now.' To Keira, that could only mean that one thing... that Jak was at least considering proposing to her.

She could see herself and Jak getting married, and she could see a future with him. He was her past, present, and future. If he wasn't there... then she had nothing.

Not for the first time, she thanked the Precursors that she had met Jak all those years ago, and even more than she had reunited with him after all those years apart... and had fallen in love with him all over again.

She loved him with all her heart... and nothing was ever going to change that.

* * *

Jak rushed into the HQ control room just in time to hear Ashelin talk about the assault. "That was one hell of an assault wave. We can't continue to repel such large assaults forever."

"What did I miss?" Jak asked, walking up to the hologram display.

"So... you've finally decided to join us?" Pecker asked.

Jak opened his mouth with a ready-made excuse as to what he was doing last night when Torn stopped him. "Don't even give us some lame-ass excuse as to where you were. Where you go and what you do is your own business unless it affects our war effort."

"Now, back to business..." Ashelin said. "That floating War Factory produces more and more Death Bots every day. Before long, they'll make an assault force large enough to overwhelm us. That Factory must be destroyed if we are to survive this war."

"That is not all." Samos said. "The Catacombs below the Palace seem to be central to this whole conflict." The door to the hallways opened and Keira and Daxter came into the room. Daxter jumped up on the holographic display while Keira took a spot next to Jak. Samos looked between the two, as if he suspected what they had done. But he didn't bring it up. "And I think everyone will agree with me when I say that Jak's the best man we've got to lead an expedition into those Catacombs."

Everyone, except Jak and Keira, nodded in agreement. Jak simply listened quietly, and Keira was still worried for obvious reasons.

Suddenly, a new voice joined the rest. "Now, now, let us not be too hasty." Everyone turned around. Veger had entered the room with a rather smug grin. "Are you sure you want this Dark Eco Freak..." Jak had wondered when Veger would bring up his abnormality. "...contaminating the hollowed halls of our glorious Precursors?" Veger paused just long enough to glare at Jak, as though the very air around him was a poisonous fume. "I should lead the expedition myself."

Ashelin frowned. "We're tired of your scheming, Veger."

"Now, Governess, don't be too hasty. You see, you have no idea how much danger we all all in. My Precursor monks have given me the knowledge for this world's redemption. If you beg me to give it to you..."

Suddenly, Keira spoke. "Jak's always gotten us through thick and thin!" Veger looked up at her in surprise and Jak noticed how his face flushed with fear. He wondered why that was. "I'm with him!" She smiled fiercely at him.

"Hear! Hear!" Samos concurred.

"You're washed up, Vegan!" Daxter said, mispronouncing his name once again.

Veger rounded on Daxter. "Veger! It's Veger, you idiot!" He yelled.

"Count Veger..." Ashelin began. "I hereby dissolve the City Council as it is, and strip you of all command, title, and privileges!" Jak enjoyed the look on Veger's face as Ashelin tore his life down around his ears. "Now get out of my sight!" She turned her back on him in disgust.

"What? You can't do that!" Veger protested.

"Sorry, Vulgar, but I think she just... uh... did." Daxter said.

Veger roared in anger. "You have all brought this upon yourselves! I offered you mercy, and this is what I get in return? Now, you will all burn in the Precursor fires of creation! I swear it!" Veger spun around on his heel and stormed out.

Suddenly, to everyone's surprise, Jak laughed. "So, we're all gonna burn, huh?" He asked. "I think we all know that I'm going to hell anyway."

"A tainted, Dark Eco Freak abomination like you? How could you not?" Daxter joined in on the joking.

And then Jak turned to face Keira. "Why was he so scared at the sight of you?"

Keira suddenly blushed. "Oh... that..." Ashelin and Torn laughed as they remembered what had happened. "Well... he was saying all sorts of horrible stuff about you so I..." A pause. "I punched him."

Jak stared. "You're kidding?"

"No, she's not." Torn laughed. "She punched him right in the head."

"Oh God, that's great!" Jak exclaimed. "I would face the Metal-Head Leader again just to see that!"

"Seriously, Keira actually socked Veger in the face?" Daxter said as he turned to Keira. "It seems you and Jak have more in common than we all thought. I thought it was just opposites attract!"

"Excuse me..." Ashelin said to catch everyone's attention. "Can we get back to the matter at hand?"

"Yes." Torn said. "Is there a way into the Catacombs?"

Ashelin brought up a newer map of that section of the City with a push of a button. "No foreseeable way. Even Jak couldn't get past some of the obstacles. The gaps in the path are just to big for Jak to jump."

"How big are the holes?" Jak asked.

"The smaller ones are fifty feet wide." Ashelin said.

"Okay, there's no way I could jump fifty feet. Scratch that plan, then." Jak said.

"Okay, so that Catacomb plan must be put on hold until we have a way to get you there." Samos said.

"Which leaves the War Factory." The hologram changed to one of the War Factory as Ashelin continued her briefing. "It is guarded at all times by a fleet of zoomer-like robots and security tanks... not to mention the place is crawling with Death Bots. There are gate codes on all access points." Ashelin paused. "All the old KG door cyphers were kept hidden in the system at the Power Station. If we get that cypher, then we will be able to unlock that War Factory."

"So... to recap... you want me to go to the Power Station, find this door cypher, and somehow break into the War Factory, which is guarded by thousands of Death Bots?" Jak asked.

"And destroy it." Ashelin reminded him.

"Great." Jak said. "All in a day's work, I guess."

"Well, Jakkie-Boy, looks like we're off to the old Power Station." Daxter said.

Jak gave one last look at Keira, a look that said 'I love you and I'll return as soon as I can.' Unfortunately, the irony gods chose at that moment to frown on the young lovers, for at that moment, a plot was at work to tear them apart.

Unaware of this, Jak turned and left the building.

* * *

A short, crazy, war-ridden ride later, and Jak drove up to the Power Station in South Town. He got off the zoomer, Daxter on his shoulder and walked into the Power Station reverently.

Reverently because it was once the workplace of Vin, a man who know more about the Eco grid than any other. However, he had disappeared shorty after the Metal-Head's first attack on the City months ago. A cowardly man... Vin probably didn't survive.

"Remember this place?" Daxter asked as they walked into the mostly blue-lit room. Jak nodded. "I sure miss good old Vin."

"Yeah, he was a good guy." Jak said, and then he added: "A bit crazy, though..."

Suddenly, a new voice rang through the room. "Hey! You are you calling crazy? I can't help it if the world is out to get me!" It sounded like Vin, but not at the same time. Jak looked around for the source of the voice, but it seemed to come from everywhere at once.

"Vin!" Daxter exclaimed. "Wait a minute... is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me." Vin's voice said. Suddenly, a strange hologram of Vin appeared. "Well, actually, no it's not. I'm a multilayer, bio-mimic, super-clock, mega-memory construct, baby!"

Jak and Daxter blinked. "Did you understand anything he just said?" Daxter asked. Jak shook his head.

"Look." Vin said. "When the Metal-Heads broke into the City, I dumped my brain into the Eco grid. Everything's great now. Those monsters can't get me in here! Or... can they?"

"Listen, Vin, I'm glad you're... whatever you are." Jak said. "But, right now, I've got to get into the War Factory, but the doors are sealed. We think the code to open the doors are hidden in the system."

"It is." Vin said instantly.

"Really?" Daxter asked.

"Positive." Vin answered.

"Well... can you get it for us?" Daxter asked hopefully.

"Negative." Vin answered.

"Why not?" Daxter asked.

"Well, if you had half a brain-cycle, you'd know that those codes are guarded by the Central System... ancient, nasty circuits in there! Even we bit brains can't fool around there without getting our butts erased for good!" Vin said.

"Just get us close, then." Jak said.

"Yeah, right, it's your death!" Vin said. "If you fail, I could always use a companion in here. Oh, the fun we'll have!"

"Let's hope... Oh God, let's hope... it doesn't come to that." Daxter said.

"When I put you into the system, the main security will slam down hard. It will be up to you to beat the system, get out, or be Eco-zapped for good. You check-sum?"

"Okay, Vin-baby! 'Jak' me in!" Daxter said. Jak rolled his eyes. Will the 'Jak' puns never end?

Vin looked at the screen. "Wait for it... wait for it... okay! Input!"

* * *

After beating the system, the cypher popped out of the system. Jak caught it deftly. "Got the cypher." He said out loud.

A hologram of Torn appeared. Vin stared at it in interest. "Great job. That cypher will open the War Factory doors. Bring it here, and we'll begin to decode the doors." Torn's figure disappeared.

"We've got places to go, Vin." Jak said. "But we'll keep in touch, I promise." He walked out with Daxter on his shoulder.

* * *

After Jak went back to HQ and passed off the cypher to Torn, Torn hurried off to begin cracking the codes that guarded the War Factory doors, leaving Jak alone in the room with Daxter, when suddenly...

_Greetings, Great Warrior._

Jak knew instantly that it was Tiatin. Not only by the traditional greeting, but because Daxter was the only one in the room with him, and his alter egos had been shut up in a dark corner of his mind for some time now. The Precursor was obviously communicating directly into his mind.

 _You guess correctly._ Tiatin said. _Have you finalized your decision to help me?_

 _No._ Jak thought back. _You told me to wait until I knew the full extent of my decision._

 _Very good. Come to the forest._ Tiatin said. _Bring the artifacts with you. It is time for you to learn what you are up against._

 _You were the one who told Torn to get those artifacts, aren't you?_ Jak asked.

 _You are very astute. Yes, it was I. I merely made Torn believe that he was speaking to the Green Sage._ Tiatin said. _Forgive me for the deception, but those artifacts are of vital importance. Please come alone... for what is to be said is for you only._

 _Fine._ Jak thought back. _I'll be there._

The Precursor's presence disappeared and Jak hurried over to where he had left the bag of artifacts the day before and picked it up. He began to head towards the door.

Daxter looked up in surprise. "And where do you think you're going?"

"I'll be gone for a while." Jak answered simply. "Don't send anyone after me. I'll be fine." He walked out without another word.


	33. The Origin of The War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What is the "War of the Champions"? How did it start? All that is revealed in this chapter!

Jak walked into the forest and was instantly greeted by Tiatin.

"Follow me." Tiatin said gravely, moving away into the forest. Jak hesitated slightly before following the Precursor deeper into the woods.

He was unsure of how long he followed Tiatin through the undergrowth. Finally, Tiatin stopped before a large, telescope-like machine. "What is this?" Jak asked.

"The artifacts, please." Tiatin said. Jak held out the bag. The Precursor, using it's amazing control over the Ecos, levitated the objects out of the bag and each one flew into its proper slot on the machine. The machine activated with a slight humming noise.

Tiatin stepped back from the machine. "Look, Great One, and behold your enemies."

Jak hesitated slightly before he moved forward and looked through the machine's eye piece. He gasped in shock. The telescope was pointed at the Day Star. But it wasn't a star, at all! It was a ship, a dark purple spaceship! The ship seemed to be made out of pure Dark Eco, it was oval-shaped and had tentacles sticking out the bottom. "What is that?" Jak asked in amazement.

"That is _The Veelen_." Tiatin answered. "One of the deadliest battleships in the Dark Maker fleet."

"Dark Makers?" Jak asked, confused. "What are Dark Makers?"

Tiatin seemed to ignore Jak's question. "You realize, of course, that my kind are not the Gods that your kind portray us as." The Precursor said. "In fact, because the Precursors are the most powerful race in the universe, our mistakes are proportionately worse than yours." Tiatin paused thoughtfully. "You know... we Precursors used to be a lot like your own kind... the elves. Perhaps that is why we choose your planet for a final resting place, and also started to help your race to evolve from the rat-like creatures we found you as."

"Why did your kind help us evolve in the first place?" Jak asked, as he had always wanted to know the answer.

Tiatin sighed. "It was believed that, since your race had similar beginnings, given the right circumstances, your race would follow the same evolutionary track that we followed."

"You mean..." Jak paused, putting it together. "We could become Precursor-like beings?"

"Given the right circumstances... yes." Tiatin said.

"What cir..." Jak began, but Tiatin ignored him and continued his story.

"Possibly our worst mistake was the creation of Dark Eco." Tiatin mused. "It was necessary to have a balance to Light Eco, but considering the trouble it would cause, we were probably better off never making it. It was a terrible mistake, and proved how ungod-like we Precursors really are." Tiatin paused for several minutes, like he was going to reveal some dreaded secret. "The Dark Makers... they were once Precursors. The very Precursors who put their knowledge together to create the Darkness. But the process twisted their logic. Light Eco and Dark Eco are in perfect balance... Life and Death balancing each other. People die, and yet more are born to replace them. Death makes way for the next generation. One without the other would mean the end of life in the universe. But these Precursors began to believe that Dark Eco was the most powerful force in the universe, and that it should become the driving force of every race. Imagine... a universe run by death..." Tiatin paused once again. "When the Precursor Elders discovered their evil, they were banished to wander the depths of space for all eternity. Now, the Dark Ones believe that they were wronged by our Elders. Thus began the first and only Civil War in Precursor history."

"But... Dark Eco isn't evil... just as death isn't evil." Jak said.

"Yes, but death, the fear of death, can corrupt. The Dark Makers glorify Dark Eco... because they fear death." Tiatin said. "The Precursor-Dark One Civil War lasted for thousands of years. Families were torn apart, cities burned, leaders were assassinated, and there were heroes on both sides. It seemed that the violence and the bloodshed would never end. Then... came the terrible tragedy on Aeon.

"Eons ago, Aeon was, what you would call a 'backwater' planet on the edge of the universe. It was there that our two greatest heroes fought to end the war. Their actions ended one war... and started another. Their powers clashing created an explosion... a chain-reaction that destroyed a tenth of the universe."

Tiatin paused, to let the horror of this statement sink in, and then he continued. "It was the worst disaster in known history. Billions of suns, innumerable planets, and millions of sentient races... all gone within a fraction of a second. It was only after that terrible disaster that both sides realized the folly of our war. Our war would not only destroy us, but the universe and all life in it. Even the Dark Makers couldn't risk that.

"So the Precursor Elders met with the Dark Maker Leaders under truce. It was agreed by all that the war, as it was, could not continue. So, they made an agreement that day. Never again would the Precursors and Dark Makers meet in open battle. But... the two sides still wanted to resolve their differences, so a new system of war was developed for the purpose..."

"The War of the Champions." Jak said automatically.

"Correct. The War of the Champions is the longest running war in the history of the universe. While its predecessor lasted only thousands of years, the Champion War has lasted for eons. The concept was simple... a planet would be chosen, and then each side would chose a single Champion to represent them in a fight for the planet. Each side is allowed to prepare their Champion in any way they see fit."

"Let me guess... I am your Chosen Champion." Jak said.

"Yes." Tiatin said.

"So... who is my opponent?" Jak asked. "Who is the Dark Maker Champion?"

"Is it not obvious?" Tiatin asked. "The Dark Makers saved him from certain death... if only to face you in combat. He was terribly injured in a Dark Eco accident, but the Dark Makers have genetically altered his DNA so he can handle Dark Eco as you do."

Jak blinked. "You don't mean... Erol!"

"Yes... Erol." Tiatin said. "Both sides are aware of your history, and your family's history... but I want you to take pity on him."

"Pity him?" Jak demanded angrily. "You want me to pity him when he's responsible for my torture? When he turned me into... into a FREAK?"

"Erol was not responsible for your torture... and neither was Praxis." Tiatin said. "Both were merely puppets of a power greater than themselves."

"What?" Jak asked.

Tiatin ignored him once again. "And, yes, I want you to pity Erol, even if you must destroy him. Unlike you, he has been forced into this War to fight for a cause he personally doesn't believe. I highly doubt he even knows what he's doing. He has only been chosen to maximize the irony of your upcoming fight."

"What do you mean by irony?" Jak asked. "I see nothing ironic besides the fact that I'm fighting a man I've already killed."

"Both your ancestor and his ancestor has a history in this War. This is not the first time the War has come to your planet. Five hundred years ago, the war came here and the Champions were chosen as per the ancient rules. For the Precursors... a newly elected King named Mar... yes... your own ancestor. And for the Dark Makers, a young noble named Martin."

Jak was sure he had heard that name somewhere before... but he just couldn't place it.

"These choices turned out to be poor ones. Mar won the fight, but hesitated in the final blow. Mar couldn't kill Martin and end the war."

"Why?" Jak asked. "One stroke, and the war would have been over!"

"Because Mar was not able to slay... his younger brother." Tiatin said.

"Wait!" Jak gasped. "Are you saying that Martin is...?"

"Erol's ancestor? Yes. Your relation? Rather distantly, but yes. Both your names would appear on Mar's family tree. Strange how history repeats itself." Tiatin mused.

"My God... I can't believe it!" Jak felt all the strength leave him as he fell to the ground in shock. "But... if the War has already been fought here, then why are the Dark Makers here now? Wouldn't we be off limits?"

"No. You see, the rules clearly state that one Champion must destroy the other to win. Mar beat Martin, but he didn't kill him, so the War never ended. You must understand this. To end the war and save your race... you must destroy Erol."

"No problems there." Jak said softly.

"Now, you must know this." Tiatin said.

"What must I know now?" Jak asked.

"The price... of failure." Tiatin said. "If you fail to kill Erol, and Erol manages to destroy you... the Dark Makers will claim possession of this planet. I have seen what happens to a planet when it is taken. The Dark Makers will flood this world with Dark Eco... covering the face of the planet in death. Most will die instantly... Channelers... a few days later. It will be a darkness that nothing can pierce... and a death that none can escape. It would be the end of life on this planet as we know it. Do you understand the severity of the situation?"

Jak lowered his head in submission. "Yes."

"One more thing before you go..." Tiatin said. "The Dark Weapon system you have will be near-useless. The Dark Makers and Erol will have complete immunity, as you do. It will not hurt them."

"So... how am I supposed to fight Erol without any weapons?" Jak asked in a subdued voice.

"Does that mean that you will join our cause and fight?" Tiatin asked.

"Yes." Jak answered. "I will fight."

"You see now? That is your greatest weapon!" Tiatin said. "This is what separates you from Erol! Erol has been forced to fight for a cause he does not believe in. You, on the other hand... I have not forced you. I merely gave you the information you needed to make your own decision. That is the difference between being forced onto a battlefield, or walking onto a battlefield with your head held high! Your free will is your greatest weapon!"

"I doubt I could kill Erol with my free will." Jak said rather sarcastically.

"Quite right. Mar once wondered the same thing. What use is free will? He discovered the answer before the end, and you will too. But, you are also right that your free will alone will not harm Erol. That is why I'm giving you a new Light Power now."

"A new Light Power?" Jak asked.

"Yes. Light weapons, capable of gravely injuring Dark Eco-infused creatures like Erol and the Dark Makers."

Jak remembered the carving of Mar on the Temple wall, the carving of Mar with a Dark Sword in one hand, and a Light Sword in the other. It seemed that he was becoming more like Mar every day.

"Stay still. This will feel a little strange." Tiatin stepped forward and placed his hand on Jak's forehead. There was an extremely strange sucking sensation that reminded him of when he got his Dark Weapons. After a few seconds, it stopped. "The Weapons are summoned the same was as their Dark counterparts, except you should concentrate on the Light Within."

With a thought, Jak summoned a broadsword, only instead of a blade and hilt made of Dark Eco, a blade made entirely of Light Eco materialized in his fist. It looked exactly like the one Mar held in the picture. He quickly called the Dark version of the sword in his other hand.

"This is where I leave you." Tiatin said. "Know, at least, that you have the full might of the Precursors behind you, and we will not let you fail if we can help it at all. I hope you are more successful than many other Champions, who have failed and plunged their world into Darkness." With those final words, Tiatin teleported.

Jak stood still for several seconds before he turned and walked away slowly... he didn't make it very far at all. Just as his ancestor did before him, Jak slowed to a stop, dropped both weapons to the ground, and fell to his knees.

He felt as if a huge weight had been put on his shoulders. He couldn't stop thinking about the consequences of his failure. Erol was related to him... however distantly. His entire life seemed to lead up to his upcoming fight with Erol. His life would either end... or begin at that moment.

He slammed his fist into the ground and let loose a cry of rage that sent nearby birds to the air in fright.

* * *

From far away, Tiatin could feel his Champion's anguish. He understood his grief. Jak wanted nothing but peace, but he had gotten the exact opposite. It made Tiatin glad that he didn't tell him about what was going on that very moment back at the Freedom HQ. Tiatin could look into Jak's memories and could see the things he had recently been through... but what intrigued him most was his connection to this Keira Hagai... a connection that he thought was impossible in elves. Tiatin made a mental note to ask his Elders about it.

Tiatin could see as plain as day that Jak Mar cared about Keira more than he cared about life... he would quite literally die for her. Tiatin wasn't sure that Jak would be able to handle the news. More than one Champion had taken their own life before under all the stress. The young Precursor was sure that, if he discovered this newest development before he had time to digest the War of the Champions situation... nothing would stop him from killing himself on his own blade.

Tiatin hoped desperately that Jak would be strong enough to survive the upcoming tasks.

* * *

(Headquarters)

Keira sat on her bed, remembering the passion that she had Jak had shared just that night and pondering the nature of their relationship. It was just the sort of things a young girl ponders after giving herself fully to the man she loves.

She also debated the odds of Jak asking her to marry him. It seemed a given that they would marry each other, but WHEN was the question. Given... it would be weird because they had been childhood friends... not to mention almost brother and sister. But it couldn't be any weirder than it was last night.

Daxter had informed Keira that Jak had disappeared some time before to an unknown location. Not only that, but he told people to not follow him.

Suddenly, the lights in the room went out and Keira stood up in surprise. At first, she thought the power had gone out until an oily voice reached her ears. "Well, well, Keira, long time, no see."

What scared Keira was that she didn't recognize the voice at all. "Who are you? What are you doing in my room?"

"What's the matter, Keira? You don't recognize an old friend?" A pause. "I guess I have changed a bit... thanks to your boyfriend."

The figure stepped out of the shadows. Keira stared. "You!"

"Come, now, Keira..." The figure smiled. "That's no way to greet an old friend. Now... go to sleep."

Something slammed hard into the side of Keira's head, and she remembered no more.


	34. Revenge From Love

Inside the Freedom League Head Quarters, Daxter was in a literal state of panic. "Oh no, Jak's gonna kill us all when he gets back! We're all dead! There's no way we'll survive this!" Daxter paused, reading over the small note again, thinking of what he'd tell Jak. "Gee, Jak, the good news is we have a path into the War Factory. But the bad news is Keira has been kidnapped and the only clue is this note from a guy claiming to be your 'cousin'. Is... there a problem with that?"

"Dax?" Daxter blinked. It was Jak's voice.

Daxter completely lost his mind and panicked. "AUGH!" He raised his little arms in the universal sign of 'I surrender'. "It wasn't my fault! It was Torn! Yeah, Torn! He was watching her! Please don't kill me!"

"Dax? What are you talking about?" Jak asked.

Daxter turned around and gasped. If he didn't know any better... His best friend looked absolutely terrible. He didn't look like he had been in a fight, he just looked completely... worn out. His hair was disheveled, his eyes looked completely hollow, and he had a slump to his entire body like there was a huge weight on his shoulders. In fact, he looked prone to going berserk at any second.

"What's Torn's fault?" Jak asked.

Daxter opened his mouth to tell Jak what had happened. _Just tell him! Get it over with!_ But Daxter lost his nerve. Instead he merely handed the small note to Jak.

Jak took it and read:

_"Freak,_

_I have Keira. If you ever want to see her again, you will_

_meet me at the War Factory._

_Your Cousin"_

Daxter watched apprehensively as Jak read the note, his frown becoming more and more pronounced with every word.

Finally, Jak let out a roar of pure rage. It seemed that he had snapped, or at least Daxter thought so when Jak yelled: "Erol, you bastard!"

He transformed into his Dark Side. Dark Jak let out another roar as he began to attack random objects in the room, tearing through them with the zeal he usually had for tearing through living things.

Daxter stood back. He knew only thing to do was to wait for Jak to calm down. Unfortunately, some people happen to walk into the wrong places, at the wrong times.

Torn happened to walk into the room and Dark Jak looked up from tearing the bed to shreds. The Dark Monster saw that it was Torn and snarled angrily.

Torn knew he was screwed as soon as Dark Jak saw him and growled like that. "Oh shit!" Torn tried to retreat, but Dark Jak was too fast. He tackled him from behind and threw the Commander to the ground roughly. Then Dark Jak pinned him and began to choke him cruelly.

 **"How could you?"** Dark Jak demanded. **"This is supposed to be the safest building on the planet, and you just let someone walk in and kidnap the only person I've ever loved!"** Even though Torn was struggling to get a breath of oxygen past Dark Jak's choke hold, he could see the beginnings of tears in the demon's black eyes.

Even though Daxter hated Torn, and normally wouldn't help him, he knew it would bring trouble on Jak if he killed the Freedom League Commander. "Jak! Calm down! He can't answer you if you kill him!"

Dark Jak held Torn for several more seconds before he let go, getting up. Torn began to choke as air flowed back into his oxygen-depraved lungs.

The Demon let out a piteous howl and collapsed to the floor, the figure of a broken man... or rather... broken demon.

Torn glared at the moaning demon. "What the HELL are you doing? You could've killed me!"

"Hey, go easy on him!" Daxter stood up to Torn in Jak's place and handed him the note that had survived the room's destruction. "Keira's been kidnapped... right out of her own room, if that wasn't bad enough!"

"That's impossible!" Torn said, getting up. "No one could just walk in and kidnap someone! We've got the best security on the planet!" Torn glared down that the demon, who was letting unchecked tears fall to the ground. "And that's no reason for him to almost kill me... or for him to break down like that!" He pointed at the weeping demon, who was slowly changing back to normal. "I've never seen Jak CRY, and his demonic side crying is even stranger! This note is probably a joke. Your cousin? I was under the impression that you had no family."

"He's not really my cousin..." Jak said sorrowfully. "But he is somewhat related to me."

"So... you know who is is?" Daxter asked.

"Yes." Jak said, looking at Daxter. "You know him too."

"Really? I know your cousin?"

"The Factory..." Jak remembered the location in the note. "I need to get to the War Factory right now."

"Don't worry, Jak. I'm sure Keira will be fine..." Torn said.

"You don't understand!" Jak roared. "Every second that passes with her in HIS company, the less hope I have of her safe return!"

"The hanger." Torn said. "Use the Freedom League fighter to fly up there and get into the Factory. And make sure you shut down that Factory while you're up there!"

"Are you sure you're all right enough to do this?" Daxter asked. "You look absolutely terrible."

"I'm not so sure anymore." Jak said, moving out of the room. Daxter remained behind. He hardly trusted Jak when he had all his wits. He definitely wasn't going to trust him when he was losing it.

Torn felt his neck and gasped, pulling his hand away. There was blood on his fingers, his own blood. It appeared Dark Jak's claws had cut into him when he attempted to strangle him.

Once again, Torn wondered exactly how safe Jak was. Sure, he was dangerous, everyone knew that, but he had never physically attacked someone on his own side before.

His girlfriend was missing? So what? That didn't seem enough to push Jak into a berserk rage. There had to be a lot more on his mind, judging by the state of his room.

* * *

(Some Time Later)

Keira slowly woke up with a pounding headache. She groaned. Where was she? Why did she have a headache? It took several minutes for her to remember what had happened before she had blacked out.

She opened her eyes and found herself looking up into pitiless yellow eyes. "Erol!" She hissed.

It was Erol, but he had changed so dramatically, that Keira could barely recognize him.

The last time she had seen Erol, he had gotten himself blown up by Dark Eco. He clearly should not have survived the accident. It seemed that most of his body was made up of metal, and the small pieces of flesh that were left was pale as death and sparked with Dark Eco. Whoever saved him was left with little to work with. He only had about five percent of his original flesh left. The rest was completely mechanical.

"Welcome back to the world of the living, my friend." Erol said with a voice that was like his, but slightly mechanized.

Keira laughed sourly. "I was NEVER your friend."

"Aw... such hard feelings. About what, I wonder?"

"Jak told me... everything." Keira hissed. "About how you tortured him, about how you're responsible for Bease's and Tigran's deaths!"

"Still sore over that?" Erol asked. "I couldn't have him taking away my title. Not that it mattered. Your dear Freak friend took the title away from me a year later. He somehow managed to dodge the bullet my assassin sent his way. Now... I'm curious, what else has the Freak told you?"

"Stop calling Jak a freak!" Keira yelled, trying to move for the first time, but she was tied down.

"Why not? He is a Freak. Channeling abilities are a freak of nature. There's no room in the world for his kind... a race of Freaks."

"Jak's not the freak, you are!" Keira hissed. "Besides, you are one to talk, Erol. It looks like you're Channeling Dark Eco to me."

"You are right there." Erol said. "But I am not a freak of nature, but a freak of technology. Believe me, these abilities are not natural. I am not a Channeler. My... friends have genetically altered my DNA so I can be your boyfriend's equal... perhaps better! Now, I ask again... what else has the Freak told you... about himself... maybe." Erol paused at the look on Keira's face, and sighed. "Fine, have it your way. We'll call him Number Eleven, shall we?"

"Why don't you just call him by his name?" Keira demanded.

"Because he has no name." Erol said simply.

"Of course he's got a name!"

"Oh, you mean 'Jak'?" Erol asked. "Sorry to tell you, but that's not his name. He doesn't have a name. 'Jak's just something that he's called."

"What are you talking about?" Erol smiled evilly. "He has kept the most important secret in his whole life from his own girlfriend! A shame when so many other people know... the rat does for sure..."

"Well..." Keira began uncertainly. "I'm sure he has a reason for keeping secrets."

"No other reason than his own inability to accept responsibility." Erol said. "I'm sure he has a very good reason for not telling you the truth."

"The truth about what?" Keira asked.

"The truth about his true identity, about his lineage, about his last name." Erol said. "I would tell you to ask him yourself when he gets here, but that will not be possible, I'm afraid."

"Why?" Keira asked.

"Because there must be no witnesses." Erol said. "As much as it irks me to kill you, it must be done. Don't fear though, Jak will see you. After all, I did promise that he would see you, and I always keep my word. But I never promised that he'd see you alive and well."

"No!" Keira yelled in horror.

Erol hit her across the face with his real hand. "Shut up, bitch! You want everyone to hear you?" He raised his other, mechanical hand to bash Keira's head in... to kill her.

"Jak!" Keira cried, afraid that she would never see him again.

Erol's hand began to swing down, but it never connected. There was a bright flash of light and suddenly a strange being stood before Keira, holding Erol's mechanical arm at bay.

"What the?" Erol had never seen anything like it. The entire being seemed to glow with its own light, the most dazzling light Keira had ever seen.

Suddenly, the new being growled and, using its incredible strength since it was dwarfed by Erol, threw the mechanical monstrosity into the nearest wall. Erol hit hard and created a dent, but he got right back up, glaring at the being before him.

"Touch her like that, and I'll kill you." The being hissed.

"You're a Precursor, aren't you?" Erol hissed. "Precursors can't interfere!"

"I am not a Precursor." The being hissed dangerously. "What the matter? You don't recognize your own cousin?"

Erol blinked. "You!" And then he laughed. "Well, it seems you're an even bigger freak than I thought!"

The being ignored him, instead, it walked over to Keira. "Don't worry, Keira, I'll protect you with my life."

The being seemed to be made out of light. The eyes radiated with a brilliant light that dazzled Keira. It wasn't a Precursor, it was an elf. Then, within those amazing eyes, Keira saw a spark of something familiar. "Jak?" She gasped.

The being, Light Jak, smiled. "Yes. I'm here now."

Then Keira looked behind him. "Jak, look out!"

Erol had tried to sneak up on Jak and catch him off guard while he was busy with Keira. With a thought, Jak brought up his Light Shield to encompass both himself and Keira.

Erol's mechanical fist hit the Light Eco shield and was blown back by the Light Eco. However, Jak winched heavily as if the blow had made contact with his own flesh.

Erol got up again. "So... the Dark Makers were right about this whole kidnapping business. For years, I've tried to discover your weakness. The Baron and I attacked your body and your mind, only to find it armored too well. Then the Dark Makers taught me that the cunning warrior attacks neither the body nor the mind, but the heart. Yes... your heart is your weakness."

"Keira... give me strength." Jak said. With that, he dropped the Light Shield and walked up to Erol. "So, Cousin, this is how the War of the Champions is to end? The two Champions face off one final time. The question is... which one of us believes in our cause more."

"No, it's which one of us will survive!" Erol hissed. "Your line is tainted, full of weaklings! Out of our fighting ancestors, Martin should have won! He would have been strong enough to deliver the final blow!" Erol growled, materializing a large spiked mace out of Dark Eco. "You ancestor, praised by the world, was weak. And so are you with your light tricks!"

"Which will win? The Darkness, or Balance?" Light Jak asked, summoning his Light Broadsword.

"The Darkness swallows all light, you must know this!" Erol yelled.

"You're wrong!" Light Jak said. "For so long, the only thing I did know was the Darkness, and I believed, like you do, that Darkness conquers." Light Jak looked back at Keira. "But now my Light has returned to me, and I understand the need for balance."

"Enough talk!" Erol roared. "Let's fight!" He lifted the mace into a readier position.

"So be it." Jak raised the Light Sword.

With a roar, Erol rushed at the Light being, his mace raised to strike his enemy down.

Jak quickly raised his own weapon to block the crushing blow, both weapons sparked dangerously as the opposite forces clashed.

Keira could only watch in horror as her lover fought for his life.

It was immediately clear as the two enemies fought back and forth across the room, their weapons moving so quickly that Keira could see nothing but a blur, why they were both chosen as Champions. They appeared to be pretty evenly matched. Neither seemed able to land a blow or keep the advantage for long.

Then it happened, the first Channeled attack. Erol leapt back from Jak and sent a blast of Dark Eco straight at his chest. Light Jak made no move to avoid the blast and it connected. Keira screamed as he was engulfed in the Dark Eco blast.

"Ha!" Erol laughed, believing that he had won.

Then the Dark Eco cleared, revealing Light Jak, who was completely unharmed. "You fool." Light Jak said. "While I am a creature of Light, so am I a creature of the Darkness. Dark Eco won't hurt me... but Light Eco will hurt you." Light Jak reached into his pocket and pulled out a Light Crystal. "My turn." Jak began to glow even more with the power of pure Light Eco. The glow concentrated on his hands, and Light Jak grinned. He recognized this power, even though it had been three years since he last used it.

He held out his hand, palm out and a concussive blast of concentrated Light Eco launched at Erol, a blast too big too dodge, the same attack he used to destroy Gol and Maia's robot. Erol couldn't dodge the blast and it caught him in the chest, threw him into the nearest wall hard. Then he fell to the ground, spare pieces hanging off his body, but he was still alive, against all odds.

Jak walked over calmly and place the Light Blade against Erol's mechanical neck. Robot or not, Erol would not be able to function without a head.

Despite his position, Erol laughed. "Our ancestors were once in this position. What will you do, Number Eleven? Will you exhibit the same weakness as your ancestor, or will you deliver the final blow?"

Jak didn't give any verbal reply, he raised the weapon to take off Erol's head.

Once Erol realized that Jak was, in fact, going to kill him, he realized that he had to get out of there. So Erol, with great effort of his broken mechanical body, lifted a huge foot and kicked Jak in the gut.

It was Jak's turn to fly into a wall. "Jak!" Keira screamed.

Erol got up with great effort and moved to a nearby teleporter. "This isn't over yet, Freak!" He limped into the teleport machine.

Jak got out of the wall and saw that Erol was gone. "Damn! He got away!"

"Jak, over here!" Keira called.

Light Jak turned towards Keira. "Keira! Are you all right?" He ran over and inspected the large bruise on her face where Erol had hit her.

"It hurts a little." Keira admitted.

"Hold still." Light Jak said lovingly. He raised one glowing hand and pressed it to her cheek. It instantly began to feel better. In fact, within seconds, Jak had healed her. As soon as she was healed, he tore off the restraints that held her.

As soon as Keira was free, she leapt into her lover's arms. "Jak, what happened to you? How are you Channeling Light Eco?"

Jak looked down at his glowing hands, and then let the light fade away until he was in his normal form. "A gift from Tiatin." Jak said.

"Who?" Keira asked. She had met Tiatin, but she didn't know that his name was Tiatin.

"The Precursor we rescued." Jak explained.

"Oh Jak!" Keira exclaimed, pressing herself up against him. "I've never been so scared in my life! I thought Erol would kill us!"

Jak held her close, offering her what little comfort he had left to offer. "It's all right. I'm here now." He breathed into her hair. "And I think Erol will think twice before he tries to kidnap my friends... that is... if he somehow survives my Light attack."

"Jak..." Keira pulled away slightly to look him in the eyes. "Before you arrived, Erol told me that you were... keeping secrets from me. And now... I can only accept it as the truth."

"What did Erol tell you?" Jak asked.

"He said that you really have no name and you've been keeping your past a secret from me."

Jak swore. "How did he know?"

"Jak, what have you been hiding?" Keira asked.

Jak looked down at her and simply pulled her into an embrace. "Keira, I love you, and it pains me to have to keep secrets from you. But I simply can't allow this one to get out. Too many people know already. If people found out... it could destroy my future. It would destroy both of us... if I told you my last name..." Jak paused. "I fear that you would see me as a different person. Keira, no matter what my name is, I'll always be your Jak... and I'll always love you."

Keira pulled away. "Oh Jak..." She kissed him lovingly. "I'm sorry. I should trust you."

"I'll tell you when we're both ready." Jak whispered as he kissed her. "I promise."

"Jak." Keira looked up at him and smiled. "I'm so glad I've met you."

Jak smiled and pulled her back into the embrace. As Jak held Keira in his arms, he wondered how much longer he could keep his secret from her. If she knew his last name was Mar... that he was the long-lost nameless heir to the throne of Haven City... that he was the last living descendant of Mar... his whole life could fall apart. Could Keira still think of him as 'Jak' when she knew that he was Prince Mar, heir to the Throne of Haven City?


	35. The Fight For The Temple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ACT III: THE WAR OF THE CHAMPIONS

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made a change to Light Jak's appearance in this chapter. The tentacle wings always looked weird to me. O_o

Thankfully, Jak had no trouble finding the main power core of the War Factory and destroying it with a bolt of Dark Eco. This would effectively destroy the Factory's ability to make more Death Bots.

And that wasn't all Jak got out of the power core. Turns out some of the power was taken from a Light crystal, so Jak took it with him. All the while, Keira questioned him about different topics, while Jak explained as well as he could.

"Jak, I heard you mention the War of the Champions..." Keira began.

"Your father must've taught you about it." Jak said. Keira nodded. "Well, that's basically all you need to know. I have been picked as the Precursor Champion and Erol is my enemy, the opposing Champion."

"Erol kept mentioning your ancestors."

"This isn't the first time the Champion War has come to our planet. Erol and I are the descendants of the original combatants who fought close to five hundred years ago."

"Why did you call each other 'cousin'?" Keira asked.

"We're not really cousins." Jak said. "Our ancestors were brothers. He's family, as much as I hate to admit it. That's why my ancestor couldn't kill his own brother."

"But..." Keira began with just a hint of worry in her voice. "Doesn't one Champion have to kill the other in the end?"

"Yes. Either I will kill Erol, or he will kill me." Jak said. "But I am confident in my ability to win. He ran away today because he knew that I had won and that I was fully intent on killing him." Jak laughed sorrowfully. "And he called me weak."

"Jak, you are not weak, and you are not a freak... you are not a monster." Keira said. "You are the man that I love."

Jak rounded on her and pressed a hungry kiss to her lips.

It was possibly at that moment that Jak finally made a decision regarding something he had been thinking about for a long time. He pulled away from the she-elf and smiled down at her, and she smiled back. Could two young people be any more in love than they? They didn't think so.

They kissed again.

* * *

It was a short while later, and after the lovers had finished making out, that they found their way back to the Rift room.

Jak stood back and watched protectively as Keira jumped into the teleporter first. After he was sure that she was safe, he went in after her.

A second later, they ended up back at HQ, right in the middle of the control room, scaring the people that were in the room. "Whoa!" Torn jumped, and then he saw who it was. "Oh, so you got Keira back?"

"Keira!" It was Samos. "Oh, my daughter! You're all right!" Keira knelt down so that she could embrace her father. Finally, Samos looked up at Jak. "Oh, you saved my daughter! How can I ever thank you enough for this?"

"I talk to you about that later." Jak said.

Suddenly, the old Talk Box activated and Seem's voice sounded over the speakers. She sounded scared. "Jak... our Temple is being attacked by beings of Darkness. You are the only one that can save us. They must not be allowed to discover our secrets. Please... help us..."

"Who was that?" Keira asked, giving Jak a suspicious look.

Jak noticed the look on Keira's face. "Hey! Don't look at me like that!" He defended himself. "That's Seem, a Precursor monk who hates me. Seriously, she's like a female Veger or something... or rather..." Jak paused. "I'm not actually a hundred percent sure that she's female..." Everyone stared. "I should go, though. Even though she hates me, she might turn out useful. However, before I go..." Jak turned towards Samos. "Samos, can I talk with you... alone?"

Samos seemed slightly concerned as to why Jak wanted to talk with him in private. "Sure, my boy."

Everyone else nodded quietly and left the room. Finally, when Jak was sure that they were alone and that there were no eavesdroppers, Jak turned his attention to Samos. "Samos, you know as well as I that the War of the Champions has come back to our planet, just as you know that I play a major role in it."

"Yes, the events did point to that." Samos said.

And you know that the upcoming trial has only two outcomes... success or death." Jak said.

"Are you worried about dying? I'm sure that you'll be more than a match for anyone who opposes you." Samos said confidently.

"Actually, you're wrong Samos." Jak said. "I'm not worried about dying... I'm worried about living." He paused. "I'm going out into the Wasteland, possibly never to come back." Jak took a deep breath to calm his nerves. "If I survive the upcoming trials, I would want nothing more than for you to..."

* * *

Jak left the control room sometime later, feeling plenty better. Sure, Samos had been put off at first, but after Jak expressed his determination, Samos agreed.

Daxter confronted Jak in the hallway. "So, how'd your talk with old Log-In-The-Head go?"

Jak smiled, just the opposite of how he was a few hours ago. "Very well, actually."

Daxter stared at his friend. "Why are you smiling? That's very out-of-character."

Jak ignored Daxter's statement. "Come on, Dax, we've got to get out into the Wasteland. Seem needs us." He said, walking back out into the control room.

Samos was gone, possibly to think about his conversation with Jak, but there was someone else waiting to say good-bye to him. It was Keira.

She embraced him and he embraced her back. "Hey!" Daxter protested when Keira nearly knocked him off Jak's shoulder.

Jak pressed a short, loving kiss on her waiting lips. "You're going out into the Wasteland again?" She asked.

"I have to." Jak breathed in her ear. "I have another Holy task to complete and all my instincts tell me it will end in the Wasteland... one way or another."

"Just promise me one thing..." Keira said.

"Anything." Jak felt like he would have promised her the world and all the riches it held. All she had to do was ask for it.

"Just promise that this won't be the last time we'll see each other." Keira said.

Jak hesitated before answering. The one thing he wasn't sure of. "I promise that I will do everything in my power to get back to you safely."

"And be careful." Keira said. "I couldn't bear the thought of losing you."

Jak didn't say anything for several seconds before he said. "You know... I died once." He said, and Keira looked confused. "I died in every sense of the word."

"But... if you died, then why are you standing here?" She asked.

Jak leaned forward and whispered in her ear. "Because you brought me back." He pulled away and smiled. "Just trust in me and the Precursors... then everything will turn out all right."

"I know." Keira said. "Good-bye, Jak. I'll always love you... only you."

"I love you too, Keira... so much." He pressed another hasty kiss to her lips. "Good-bye." He turned away and rushed out of the control room, leaving his lover behind to head back out into the Wasteland.

* * *

"What is the meaning of this, Tiatin?" Karnac, the Dark Maker General, demanded as he pointed at a writhing Erol, apparently very hurt after Jak's Channeled Light Eco attack.

Tiatin gravely looked down at Erol, pity radiating from his very being. He felt sorry for Erol. "The rules clearly state that I may prepare my Champion in any way I see fit. It is no fault of mine that you infused this poor creature with unnatural Channeling abilities, Dark abilities that would react badly to a Light Eco-based assault.

"You picked your Champion because you made sure a Dark Eco assault would not hurt him!" Karnac roared.

"Wrong again, Karnac." Tiatin said. "I did not choose our Champion. My elders choose him before I was born... before he was born. It was the price he paid for life..."

Karnac laughed. "You hypocritical Precursors! You try to lecture me for changing the natural order of things when you go and make deals over another's life without their knowing." He paused, grinning evilly. "You Precursors have been planning this from the last defeat, haven't you?"

Tiatin sighed. "About that deal... you have no idea what you are talking about. And, about our plan... Okay, most we planned for... but not all." Tiatin paused thoughtfully. "Prison... and the Dark Eco torture was not in the plan, or at least not our plan."

"What are you getting at? Stop speaking in riddles, young Precursor." Karnac said.

"You would know all about Jak Mar's time in prison, would you not? You would know about the Dark Warrior Project because you invented it." Tiatin said. "Even in stasis, I felt fate being twisted by a powerful being... a Precursor... or at least a former Precursor. Karnac, you planted the idea into Praxis' mind. You gave Praxis the premonition as to exactly when and where Jak Mar would land. In short, in your attempt to sabotage our Champion... you have sealed the death warrant of your own."

Karnac lowered himself to Tiatin's level and bared his fangs evilly. "Prove it!" He hissed.

Tiatin sighed. "None could do that except you. And let me remind you that it is the Ancient Rules to interfere with one another's Champion. I'm sure even your own masters would be quite upset with you, just as mine would be if I attempted to interfere with your Champion." Tiatin looked down at Erol. "A pity. Your kind lacks the knowledge of Light Eco to heal him, but I do not." With that, Tiatin disappeared.

Karnac roared in anger. The Dark Eco environment vibrated as it soaked in his anger.

He glared down at Erol, who still writhed piteously. "Idiot!" He hissed. "Did I not tell you the importance of not harming the girl until after the Precursor's servant was dead?" The only answer was a low moan of pain. "Instead, you insisted on tempting fate and giving him the exact tool that he need to defeat you... righteous anger! Now, because of you, we will have lost this battle!" If Erol died of Light Eco poisoning, it would count as a victory for the Precursor's side as the poisoning had been caused by an attack that Jak had used. "It's no use to hide him away, as he will just die and the Precursors will win. But we can't send you against Jak again in your present state, he would eat you alive..." Karnac paused, thinking. "I think it is time to bend the rules a little bit. We can not touch him, but if he gives us his permission... yes. But what of the Precursors... we can't risk an open war..." He paused thinking. "Yes... they can't deny me retribution for the Mar-Martin humiliation. The son must pay for the father's mistakes... and he will pay for them... with his very soul..." Karnac roared with laughter.

* * *

Several hours later and Jak walked into the large temple, and found the place was torn apart. Alters were overturned, statues were thrown around, and several priceless-looking scrolls were ripped to pieces.

Jak walked over to a pile of the discarded and ripped papers and picked up one piece and read: "...Midnight of the Summer ni... the clans gathered un... and it was there that..." The rest was unreadable. But what Jak was really interested in was the small Dark Eco burn marks on the edges of the paper. That pointed out two possible options. Erol was one, but Jak was sure that Erol had been badly wounded in their last encounter. The next option seemed even less likely... Dark Makers, the Dark Exiled brothers of the Precursors. It occurred to Jak that he didn't even know what Dark Makers looked like. Were they merely Dark Precursors, or were they something else entirely?

"But... this isn't right." Jak said to himself. "Dark Makers aren't supposed to interfere."

Daxter blinked, confused, for he had no idea what the Dark Makers were. "What are you talking about? What are Dark Makers?"

"Okay," Jak sighed. "Long story short. Dark Makers are Dark Eco-infused Precursors. Long ago, they went to War with the other Precursors, but it ended terribly, so they created the War of the Champions. I am the Precursor Champion. Mar was also a Precursor Champion who had to fight his brother, Martin."

"Mar's parents weren't really good with names, were they?" Daxter asked.

"Be quiet! This is important!" Jak hissed. "Mar couldn't kill his own brother as the rules of the War demanded, so he let him go. I am a descendent of Mar, and my opponent is the descendent of Martin. In that way, we are related."

"So... who exactly is this 'cousin' of yours?" Daxter asked.

Jak sighed. "Erol."

"What?" Daxter gasped.

"Shut up!" Jak hissed, making sure Daxter's gasp hadn't attracted any unwanted attention. "Yes, Erol and I are related, but that will not stop me from killing him."

"Is that why you looked so terrible earlier?" Daxter asked.

"Well, forgive me that I got a little depressed after finding out that if I lose this war, the entire world will be drowned in Dark Eco." Jak hissed. "Sure, I'm perfectly happy!" He added sarcastically.

"But... I thought you liked killing. And, if it's Erol, isn't that doubly good?" Daxter asked.

"Well, yeah, sorta. But I thought I was done with Erol ages ago." Jak said. "It is rather annoying."

"You can say that again, bradda." Daxter said.

* * *

What confused Jak most as he walked through the Temple was the lack of any actual distress. There were recent signs of trouble, but he never ran into any trouble-in-progress. It was as if the Dark Makers abandoned their work just as he approached. Perhaps they still meant him no direct harm.

Finally, he entered the room that he was most concerned about: the chamber room for the Great Oracle.

The Oracle woke up with a slight hum. "Greetings, Great One."

"Oracle, are you all right?" Jak asked.

"Yes. Even the Dark Makers would not dare disturb me. They understand my worth, and would capture me to use my power. But they also understand that the true Precursors are my creators, and that I will not turn my back on them as so many of our other Artificial Intelligences has."

"It is good to know that you are safe." Jak said. "We can't afford to lose one of your importance."

"Likewise." The Oracle said. "As much as you dislike it, you are far more important than I. If I were destroyed, my creators would be able to build a replacement in a few hundred years. However... if you are destroyed... That is why it is imperative that you are as prepared as possible."

"Oracle, they say that you can see things that others can't. Can you tell me the outcome of this War?" Jak asked.

"You mean wither or not you will die?" The Oracle corrected. "The moment that Tiatin spoke your name as the Choosing Ceremony, your fate has been clouded by a Darkness that even my eyes can't pierce. Such is the way of War. If I knew the outcome, it would not be much of a War. One thing is for sure of your destiny... you will feel pain before the end of this ordeal."

"Hey! What's the big idea! Why are you torturing my best buddy, all for the sake of your stupid War?" Daxter demanded.

"I am afraid that is a question that I cannot answer." The Oracle said. "However, I understand you pain, as much as any of your predecessors. More than one Champion in the past has destroyed themselves, convinced that death was better. But you must be stronger than this. Once you are strong enough, when you are a true hero, then you will overcome your obstacles."

"But... is there an iron-clad way for me to win?" Jak asked. "If Erol pulls through, it might be impossible."

"Once again, it is not your strength or your ability that holds you back, it is merely yourself. Once you realize and embrace your fullest potential will you have the best chance of winning this War."

"Oracle..." Jak paused, wondering if he should ask the question on his mind. "Do you know my true name?"

"Your true name? A true name is not something to be lightly tossed around." The Oracle said. "However, I will say that your true name may be closer than you think."

"What does that mean?" Jak asked.

"Though you were born into Royalty, raised in the country, held in prison, and at home in the desert, your identity has become confused." The Oracle said. "A name may be nothing more than a jumble of letters, a label. It is your soul that tells who you really are. A more accurate question would be 'Who are you?'"

Jak opened his mouth to answer, and then closed it in shame, realizing that he had none. "I don't know." He said, hanging his head. "Maybe Erol is right. Maybe I am just an Eco Freak."

"Having the rare talent of Channeling does not make you a freak, and even less so you have your talent for Channeling the two most dangerous types of Eco." The Oracle rumbled. "Channeling is a gift that you should be proud of, for it, and it alone, connects you to our race. Once you know who you are, then you will discover what it is you truly want." The Oracle paused. "Because you are so important, and time is short, Tiatin has asked me to give you the last Light Power."

"Really? A new Light Power?" Daxter asked. "What is it this time?"

"A Light Power that has little use in combat, but is invaluable. This Light Power will give you the power to reach new places, places only in your dreams."

A light appeared over Jak's head and the elf was lifted off the ground as it's pure power filled him, causing the normal transformation. Then, something new happened, a sensation that he never felt before. It didn't feel bad, but it did feel strange, like his insides were being painlessly pulled out his back.

Finally, the power released him and he was set back down on the ground. As soon as he was in control of himself, he tried to figure out what his newest power was. He searched his mind for the evidence, but found nothing.

"What is the new Light Power?" Light Jak asked.

"Uh... Jak?" Daxter began.

"What?"

"Uh... look behind you."

Jak looked over his shoulder and almost cried out in surprise. Wings, large, feathery, angel-like wings sprouted from his back. They appeared to be made out of light made solid, and they, too, glowed with their own unearthly light. Using strange, new muscles, the wings flapped powerfully.

"Precursors..." Light Jak gasped.

"Hey! You really are an angel now!" Daxter exclaimed. "Hey, do you think you can fly?"

Light Jak didn't answer out loud. _What's the point of having wings if I am unable to fly?_ He was still amazed at how powerful the wings were. They could be flapped with extreme power, but it hardly tired him, if it tired him at all.

Without even thinking, he spread the large wings to their full span, a whooping eighteen feet, and flapped hard, and launched himself into the air. He found that the wings were able to keep him aloft easily.

"Whoa! Watch where you're flapping those things!" Daxter yelled, clinging onto Light Jak harder because it was less stable in the air.

Light Jak landed softly. "Sorry, I've never exactly had wings before."

"Use this power well." The Oracle said. "May those wings allow you to never again fall into the Darkness." The Oracle began to fade away. "I wish you the best of luck, Great One..." The Oracle's presence disappeared.

Light Jak flapped his wings again in wonder. "Now, to find Seem."

"But can we not fly?" Daxter asked, but it was too late as Jak took to the air again. There was a door on the other side of the Oracle chamber that could only be reached via Jak's new wings. He reached the other side with little effort and landed safely. "I don't know if I'll ever get used to that." Daxter groaned.

Light Jak walked over towards the door and it opened. Then Light Jak saw it, at the far end of the hall... the prejudice monk herself. Spreading his new wings, he took to the air once more and flew quickly across the empty hall. Seem looked around just as the angelic creature landed. She knew instantly that it was Jak. For what seemed ages, the former enemies stared at each other. Suddenly, Seem dropped down to her knees before Light Jak in an act of reverence. (Catching both Light Jak and Daxter by surprise.)

"Forgive me, Great One." Seem whispered gravely. "I have made a terrible mistake in judging you so harshly." She pulled out a highly familiar artifact, a Time Map. "I was wrong, and I misjudged you." She added in the Ancient Language. "You have the balance needed to save us all." She offered the Time Map to Light Jak, like an offering. Light Jak couldn't stop staring. "This is our greatest treasure. Protect it, for it has more power than any of us know. Use it to once again bring balance to this world, over-thrown by chaos. Fear not, even in these Dark times, not all hope is lost."

"Why... why do you bow to me?" Light Jak asked.

"Because you have given me the honor of meeting my creators." Seem said, bowing even lower until her forehead touched the stone ground, like she was worshiping the very ground that Jak stood upon. "For that alone, I can never thank you enough. We of the Golden Order shall always be in debt to you."

Light Jak was still caught very off-guard by the reverence that Seem was showing him, so he couldn't think of a reply to this. He was plain not used to having people bow to him.

"Seem... there's really no need..." Light Jak paused, wondering if Mar had ever felt like this. "There's no need to bow to me."

"But there is!" Seem said. "I was wrong. I need the forgiveness of one of the greatest heroes that has ever walked our planet."

Light Jak was completely shocked, but he was able to reply. "You have my forgiveness."

"You know," Daxter interjected. "As far as completely freaky, beyond bizarre, paint-faced, super-weird monks go... you're all right."

Seem stood up now and nodded, apparently deciding to take Daxter's comment as a compliment. "Thank you, Little One. And do not fear, you shall find your courage." Seem paused. "And protect your friend."

Daxter laughed. "Listen, I'm not too good at the whole 'protect' thing. That's Jak's job."

"No, protect his soul." Seems said. "Very soon, you'll find his soul in jeopardy. If you lose your soul... all is lost."

"What are you talking about?" Jak asked.

"Remember, that people can live without their souls, but you are not you anymore." Seem said. "To be without a soul will trap you in an inescapable living death, unable to think or feel. You will be transformed into a lifeless puppet, a cruel joke and satire of your former self. And, if your soul is in jeopardy... another will be harmed to. Never surrender your soul... or more than one will suffer this fate."

Light Jak blinked, he wasn't sure why Seem was telling him this, but he could tell, for once, that she was trying to give him some genuine advice. Light Jak nodded, to show that he'd remember.

"Remember, Great One, if ever you require the services of the Golden Order of Precursor monks, just ask, and it shall be done." Seem said.

"I'll remember that too." Light Jak promised.

Suddenly, Jak's old Talk Box activated and Damas' face appeared on the screen. He hardly seemed put off that Jak was in his Light form with large feathery wings. "Jak, I heard you were back in Spargus."

"Well, I'm at the Temple, actually. But I can get to Spargus pretty quickly if you need me."

"We need you." Damas said. "Spargus is under attack, Dark creatures are falling for the sky. Pecker has informed me that you have an immunity to Dark Eco, so you are our best chance against these new devilries."

"Dark Makers..." Light Jak said to himself. "But Tiatin said..." Light Jak stopped mid-sentence. "I'll be right there, my King."

"Very good." Damas said before he disconnected.

"Dark Makers attacking Spargus? But... Tiatin said that Dark Makers couldn't interfere directly." Light Jak said.

"The Dark Makers are getting desperate." Seem said, looking up at the purple Day Star... the _Veleen_. "Their Champion is mortally wounded, unable to fight, so they are taking matters into their own claws."

"What does that mean for me?" Light Jak asked.

"It means that the Dark Makers no longer care for the rules." Seem said. "If you are to survive, I suggest you ignore the rules too."

"So... you want me to destroy the Dark Makers?" Light Jak asked.

"No, it is impossible for a single man... even one as powerful as you are, to destroy the Dark Maker armies." Seem sighed. "The one flaw with the War of the Champions is that no mandate was ever made of how the War would end. It will never end as long as there is a single Precursor and Dark Maker to continue the fight. The only way for the War to truly end is for one or the other to kill."

"Wouldn't Tiatin be in danger, then? He's the last Precursor, that would make him a prime target for assassination." Light Jak said.

Seem shook her head as if Jak were being foolish. "Tiatin is not the last of his kind, just as the Dark Ship in our orbit is not the only Dark Maker Warship in our galaxy."

Light Jak stared at Seem. "What? There's more Precursors?"

"They are spread thinly around the universe, but they are there." Seem smiled. "You are not the only one who spoke with Tiatin. He told me that when he went through the ring the night you released him, he went to visit his brothers on another planet. How else do you think Tiatin, who is an infant by Precursor standards, could know as much as he does?"

"I thought it was common knowledge." Light Jak said.

"No, his elders on another planet taught him everything there is to know about the War of the Champions. He is well-trained in the ways of War, but naive in other ways." Seem paused. "We have spoken too long. Go now, and be a credit to your great ancestor."

Light Jak didn't even bother to ask how Seem knew about his ancestry. It seemed that she knew a lot more than she let on. Light Jak spread his wings... it would be faster to fly to Spargus.

"Oh no, not again!" Daxter moaned as Jak took to the air. He flew out of the roofless Temple and made a Wumpbee line for Spargus, which wasn't that far away by air.

From his high vantage point, Light Jak could see the Dark meteors that rained down on the desert City. "I just hope I'm not too late." Light Jak said as he flew towards Spargus.


	36. The Fight For Spargus

Jak landed on top of one of the many sandstone buildings in an attempt to not attract attention. But attention is the one thing you do attract when you glow like a beacon. Even now, Jak could hear people claiming that they saw a Precursor land on that rooftop.

Jak couldn't help but laugh at being compared to a Precursor. For one, he didn't look a thing like a Precursor. But, then again, most people didn't have a single clue what a Precursor would look like.

But he had very little time. As he flew over he saw a mass of Dark Makers, which from high up, didn't look like more than a giant Dark glob. Jak couldn't tell where one of the creatures ended, and where the others began. They had massed by the Gates of Spargus. The many warriors that faced the Dark Makers made a valiant stand, but the Dark Makers seemed able to call up shields, and none of their shots made it through.

"They're in trouble." Jak observed as he let the Light transformation fade away. As soon as he was back to normal, Jak jumped down from the roof and began to run to the front lines.

Finally, he made it to the Elvin lines and pushed his way through the other Wastelanders. "What the...? What are you..." Then they stopped when they saw who it was, and they moved out of the way.

Finally, Jak made it to the front lines and saw the Dark Makers for the first time. If he hadn't known that the Dark Makers were actually Precursors, he would've never guessed it. The Dark Makers, unlike the Precursors, seemed to have taken the physical shape of their own robots, with long snouts that reached down to their chest. Their powerful arms ended in long claws, even longer than Dark's claws, claws that could easily cut a man in half. They stood on three-toed, wicked-clawed, tyrannosaurus-like feet, walking on its toes.

"Dark One." Jak addressed one of the bigger Dark Makers in the front, assuming he was the Leader of this band, in the Ancient Language, as he was unsure if they could speak the standard language.

The Dark Maker roared at his companions, and they stopped. And then the Dark Maker stepped forward. "Precursor Champion Jak, of course." It also spoke in the Ancient Language, through its voice had an oily quality that had the effect of being evil. "It is an honor, I must say, to meet you in person. Tales of your exploits are legendary, even among us who dwell in the Darkness. What interests me is why someone of your... Eco orientation has sided with our 'brothers', the Precursors."

"The type of Eco that's inside me does not tell who I am, but what is in my heart." Jak replied in the Ancient Language. "My soul tells who I am."

"A worthy reply!" The Dark Maker exclaimed. "So, tell us, for curiosity's sake, what is in your heart and soul of the great hero and Champion, Jak?"

At first, Jak didn't answer, then he said, in the Ancient Language so no one else could understand him. "You know, for a former Precursor, you surprise me. I've only met one Precursor, but Tiatin is surprisingly perceptive. He knows more about me than I do. Shouldn't you Dark Makers, as former Precursors, possess the same gift, am I right?" The Dark Maker growled. "I guess not. In that case, let me enlighten you. Love. Love is what's in my heart and soul."

The Dark Maker made the closest thing it could to a smile and laughed. "Love? The same weakness that doomed your ancestors and, ultimately, yourself!"

"What is that supposed to me?" Jak demanded angrily.

"I fear I'm not the one to tell you that." The Dark Maker said. "Our leader, Karnac, will be able to tell you... or perhaps your perspective Precursor friend."

"Enough talk!" Jak roared in the Standard language. "Why don't you show me how Dark Makers fight?"

The Dark Maker smiled, and then replied in the Standard language. "A little overconfident, aren't we? You see, I've got an army of the finest Dark Maker warriors behind me, and you've only got you, that anomaly on your shoulder, and an army of misfit elves behind you."

"Hey, buddy, what did you just call me?" Daxter demanded.

"An anomaly." The Dark Maker said. "Because that is what you are." The Dark Maker laughed. "And people call your Champion here a 'freak' when there's an even bigger freak on his shoulder. At least _his_ mutation is a naturally occurring one, not one brought on by freak chances."

"Shut up!" Jak yelled. He was used to being called a Freak, but when they started calling his friends freaks... well... he just couldn't stand it.

The Dark Maker smiled again, and a large katana materialized out of nowhere, a weapon made entirely out of Dark Eco. Jak blinked, it was just like himself and Erol. He suddenly remembered the words the Oracle spoke the day he got that power. 'Yes, there are others like you. You will meet them someday.' Could the Oracle have been referring to the Dark Makers? Now it seemed entirely possible.

Jak also called up a katana, except it was made out of pure Light Eco... the only substance that could harm a Dark Maker. With an uttered Precursor oath, the Dark Maker leapt at Jak with a speed that far surpassed what Jak was capable of. Before the elf even knew what was happening, the Dark Maker landed a crushing blow on Jak's... leg?

The Precursor armor that protected him saved his leg from being cut off, but the force of the blow did cause the bone to shatter instantly.

Jak barely managed to hold back a cry of pain as he fell to the ground. Half of his mind exploded with agony, and the other half screamed in confusion. _How? How? No one's ever managed to bear me to the ground with a single blow! Why didn't it kill me? My heart's a much easier target than my leg, especially considering his height! Why didn't he kill me?_

Then Jak realized. The Dark Maker wasn't aiming to kill him, only to cripple him as he did to Erol. Thankfully, his leg healed rather quickly and the pain disappeared. Jak got up off the ground, his opponent allowing him the chance to get up. Jak picked up the dropped sword and held it in a readier position as the Dark Maker watched in amazement. "I've already proven that my abilities far outstrip your own and still you fight? Why not lay down and die? I could make it painless, if you so desire. Why do you pursue this fool's mission? Why?"

Jak remembered what Tiatin had told him. 'That is the difference between being dragged into an arena to fight and walking into a battle with your head held high.' Jak understood now. It was simple, really.

"Because I choose to." Jak said. With a loud battle cry, Jak rushed his enemy. Perhaps because of the fact that Jak was doing something really stupid, but the Dark Maker didn't react in time.

With a flash of the Light Eco blade, and a cry from the Dark Maker, a leg fell to the ground, the strangely shaped Dark Maker leg. In a fit of irony, Jak had cut off the Dark Maker's leg that corresponded to the leg he had injured. The Dark Maker fell to the ground. Without giving the Dark Maker a second to recover, the Light katana flashed again, and the Dark Maker's severed head went rolling across the street.

There was silence in the street for the longest time as Jak stood over the dead body of the Dark Maker. Then Jak glared at the rest of the army, and they seemed nervous. Finally, one whispered, though Jak heard it. "We can't harm him anyway."

With a flash of Dark light, the entire army disappeared. Jak let out a loud sigh along with most of the other defenders.

Suddenly, a squawk sounded behind them and, recognizing the sound a Leaper Lizard makes, the crowd parted instantly.

Jak looked around, and saw that Damas himself was riding up on a mighty Leaper Lizard. Damas saw the large weapon that Jak still held in his hand. "Light Eco." He said. "There is no doubt now, that you are, indeed, favored by the Precursors." Damas got off the Leaper and whispered a few words to it in the Ancient Language. "Xa iqsrr. _Be still._ " The Leaper obeyed and stood still.

Jak blinked when Damas spoke the Precursor Language. "You know the Ancient Language?" He asked. He had never met any elf besides himself, Samos, and the Precursor monks who could speak the language fluently.

"Ever since I was very young." Damas replied. "My family has always believed in knowing as much about our creators as possible... including their language. You, too, understand the Ancient Language?"

"A man who was like my father taught me." Jak said.

There was an uncomfortable silence for a few seconds. It made Damas uncomfortable every time this young man said something that reminded him that he never knew his father. Damas remembered his own father quite clearly and he remembered being a father to his young son before... the tragedy that began at the Metal-Head Nest. Damas shook off those memories. There was nothing that anyone could do about the past.

It was then that Jak noticed it... the scar. Funny, he had never noticed it before. It slashed across the Warrior-King's throat as if someone had tried to cut it open. But Jak could not imagine surviving such an injury without healing powers. Jak opened his mouth to ask about it, but closed it quickly, thinking better of it. He wouldn't like it if someone pried into his life like that.

But Damas had noticed the look on Jak's face, and where he was looking. "It was a foolish mistake on my part." He said. "I was headstrong and younger than I am now. I believed that, as a Warrior, I couldn't be defeated... so I bit off more than I could chew. In short, I was wounded and almost died. I would have died if a friend of mine hadn't found me and healed me. Still, it was the day I lost my family... all because I was foolish and overconfident."

Jak didn't know what to say. He couldn't even fathom the connection between a father and son, because he had been deprived of that very connection with his own father. "I'm sorry."

"Never mind, it is all in the past." Damas said. "Now, do you remember your last arena fight?" Jak nodded. "I was wrong for punishing you so harshly for not destroying Sig. I understand now. Sig was your friend. You who has killed so many over the years... but your friends..."

"I've killed friends before." Jak said softly. "And that was the day that I died. I vowed I would never hurt my friends by my own hands again."

"The point is..." Damas continued. "Even the Precursors value mercy and pity. Shouldn't we all? Any warrior can take a life, but it takes true courage to throw down your sword and show mercy on those who might kill you." Damas looked down at the headless Dark Maker body. "This victory is a sign of possibility. Times are grim, but when I lived in Haven City, times seemed grim then too. Take hope, for even the smallest weed finds shelter within the rocks. Anyway, here is your third and final War amulet." Damas handed Jak a small, round, metal amulet. "Those War Amulets, when combined, make a beacon. You are one of us now, so if you ever need us, use it to call and we will be there. And, from me a welcoming gift." Damas pulled out a piece of armor, armor that matched perfectly with his own. It was another piece of Mar's armor, the breastplate! Jak accepted the armor reverently. "That ancient armor was once worn by Mar himself in his own battle for the planet long ago. I was saving it for my own son, but since you seem to be carrying on Mar's legacy, you should wear it during these Dark times."

Jak put the breastplate on and quickly checked his flexibility. The armor didn't hinder it at all. As with the rest of Mar's armor, the breastplate fit as though it had been made for Jak. "Thanks." Jak said. The rest of the Warriors watched in amazement. They had never seen their King treat anyone like he treated Jak. "I... I don't have anything for you."

"You have given us all hope, Jak. That is gift enough." Damas said. With that, he turned to walk away.

Suddenly, Jak found him calling after Damas. "Wait, Damas!"

Damas looked around in surprise. "What?"

"I... I do have something to give you." Jak walked up to him. "Something I've given no one else before." He conjured up a Light Eco sword, fell to his knees before Damas, and offered the sword to him, like an offering. "I offer my fealty and my sword to you. I place all my skills as a warrior in your hands to do with as you wish. I am yours to command."

Daxter gasped in shock. "What? What?" He had never imagined, in a million years, that Jak would cast in his lot with a single man. In the past, Jak had many, many loyalties to many different people, sometimes with conflicting interest. But... now Jak was giving all his loyalties to one man!

Damas, too, seemed a little shocked. But, he responded. "And, gladly, I accept your sword and your fealty. Now, rise, as my vassal." Jak got to his feet. "You continue to amaze those around you, Jak. Welcome to the clan."

Jak bowed to Damas. "Thank you, my King."

"You are dismissed." Damas said.

Jak bowed again, and walked away from the scene. Daxter sat speechless on his shoulder. "I... I can't believe you just did that!" Daxter gasped. "To think, you finally respect someone enough to cast in your entire lot with him!"

"Damas has shown great kindness to me, and I respect him more than many other people I could name." Jak said. "The only way I could properly repay him back is by giving him my complete loyalty and service."

"You've... you've grown more than I thought." Daxter said. "The Jak I used to know would never have done that."

"I know." Jak said. "I have grown... and changed. But is it for the worse... or the better?"

"Anything's better than how you were after you busted out of prison." Daxter reasoned.

"Thanks." Jak said sarcastically.


	37. Mysterious Forest Ruins

That night, Jak lay in his own room, quietly listening to the soothing desert sounds outside. He felt... as close to 'at peace' as he had felt in a long time. Sure, he had just sworn his loyalties to Damas, and he probably just made a lot of enemies, but, the way he saw it, he was pretty good at making enemies. Anyway, Sandover had been the last time that he could truey claim to be 'at peace,' but Spargus was a close second.

This made Jak wonder... Tiatin said he would only find peace in Haven, but so far, mostly all he found in Haven was a butt-load of pain. The only thing to be said about his time in Haven City was the one glorious night that he spent with Keira.

However, a question he had asked himself a long time ago popped into his head. _What about the future? Where would we live?_

Jak knew that his acceptance into Haven City was only temporary. Even though the Council had been dissolved, if Jak attempted to move back to the city, the entire population would rise up in protest. As soon as everything went back to normal, he'd be forced out into the desert again, to live in Spargus for the rest of his life. It wasn't too dim a prospect now, not when he had a life, a future here in the desert city. But to be separated from Keira... he didn't think he could bare it.

Then he got to thinking... not everyone who lived in Spargus was a banished criminal. Some had left on their own. Maybe Keira would be able to leave Haven City behind her forever to live in Spargus. He couldn't see how, though. Her world... her life... was in Haven City. But... she called him her love... her life. Maybe she would come to Spargus with him.

Jak pushed that out of his mind. There was little use worrying about that now. When the time came to worry, than Jak would worry.

 _The time of reckoning is upon us._ A disembodied voice said.

Jak sat up swiftly. "Who's there?"

 _The time has come for you to chose..._ The voice continued. _Chose between the Darkness and the Light._

"Who are you?" Jak demanded. He thought it might be Tiatin, but it didn't sound like Tiatin. It sounded... older... more powerful.

_Which to chose? The easiest path, but the one that leads to your doom; or the harder path, the one that leads to victory and salvation... salvation for your race... salvation for you..._

"Stop playing these games with me!" Jak yelled.

 _The Time Map does more than allow Time Travel._ The voice said. _It's true purpose is to unlock the potential of the machinery hidden deep in the forests of Haven. I will send you there because time is short... time itself has begun to toll against you. The Time Map will fix that..._

"I don't..." But Jak never finished his statement because he suddenly WAS in Haven Forest! One second, he had been in his room in Spargus, and then he was laying on the grassy floor of Haven Forest. "What the...?" Jak gasped.

 _Remember, the Light Path is not always the easiest one, but the destination is the place where you ultimately want to be._ The voice said. _And remember Vhearaii Lva Nameless One  you are the one with the power to save us all..._ The voice faded on the wind.

Jak looked down and found that he was fully clothed and armored. Two orange objects lay in the grass beside him. One was the Time Map, and the other was Daxter, still fast asleep.

"Dax!" Jak hissed, picking up the snoring rat. "Dax! Wake up!"

Daxter woke up slowly. "What's it?" He mumbled. Suddenly, he saw the forest around him. He woke up instantly with a shout. "Hey! Where are we?"

"Shh!" Jak hissed. "We're in Haven Forest. Someone... or something brought us here."

"Hey, what's that machine over there?" Daxter asked, looking just behind Jak. Jak looked around, it was the same machine that Jak had used to view the Dark Ship, The Veelen.

"Some kind of telescope." Jak answered. He picked up the Time Map, picked himself off the ground, and walked over to the telescope. There was a slot on it clearly marked 'For the Time Map' so Jak put it in its corresponding slot. The machine hummed loudly as it activated once again. Jak walked over to the eye piece to look in to see what he had to see.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Daxter asked.

"Come on, Dax, it's a telescope!" Jak said. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"Famous Last Words." Daxter commented.

Jak ignored him. It was a telescope for crying out loud! What harm ever came from looking through a telescope? He pressed his eye to the eye piece.

He had just a single glance at the Dark Ship before the strangest feeling filled him. It was like someone entered his brain and was attempting to pull it out of his head. Jak fought against it. "AUGH! Get out of my head!"

"Jak! Jak! I'm losing ya, buddy!" Daxter cried.

"It's-it's linking me into the Dark Maker ship systems..." Jak's voice quavered at the mental struggle to stay in his own body, but he felt himself losing. He could literally feel himself being torn apart as his... soul was ripped from his body. "They're... they're taking me to them!"

"Jak! JAK!" Daxter cried. But Jak didn't seem able to hear him any longer. Suddenly, his eyes rolled back up into his head and he fell to the ground, apparently out cold.

Daxter panicked, thinking that he had been killed... but he calmed down and realized that Jak was still alive. He was breathing regularly, and his pulse hadn't changed in the slightest. But he didn't respond to any attempts to get him up either. Then Daxter remembered what Seem said about people with no souls. 'You can live without your soul, but you are trapped in an inescapable living death.'

Then Daxter realized that his buddy was not dead at all, but he wasn't alive either. He had lost his soul...

* * *

However, Daxter was only partially right. It was true that Jak's soul no long resided in his own body, but it wasn't lost in the void either.

After the endless void where nothing exists, Jak found himself in a physical body again, but the body was not his own. He looked down and jumped in surprise, and act that propelled him several feet into the air. He saw three-toed clawed feet. He looked at the rest of his body. He was made completely out of Dark Eco. He was... as crazy and insane as it sounded, controlling the body of a Dark Maker!

"Hey!" Something shouted at him in the Ancient Language. It was a true Dark Maker. "What are you doing?"

Thinking quickly, and making sure that he didn't look or act surprised, Jak replied in a typical 'talking to a superior' voice. "I'm standing, sir." He said in the Ancient Language.

The Dark Maker stared at him for a second as if to detect foul-play. It didn't sense anything amiss, however, and turned away. "Get back to work. I've got an invasion to plan, and everyone should be working when there's war to be made." The Dark Maker walked away.

Once he was gone, Jak began to admire his new body. He was impressed. This Dark Maker's physical abilities were many times what his was, which was really saying something. Every movement was so natural and effortless. Now Jak understood how the Dark Makers moved so quickly for sure large creatures. These things were the perfect killing machines. Even if you took away their mastery of the Ancient and deadly Dark Eco, they were more than a match for him. He realized it was only sheer dumb luck that had saved him from being sliced into a million pieces by the Dark Maker he fought earlier.

He looked around at his surroundings. Everything seemed to be made out of Dark Eco and Jak knew that he was standing in a corridor on the Dark Ship, _Veelen_. There was a window and Jak looked out it, and gasped in wonder.

It was his own planet.

He was seeing his own planet for the first time in his life.

While elves had all sorts of technological advances on the ground, space travel, or even stable orbit was still beyond them. It suddenly struck Jak how laughably puny that world was, the same one that he'd risked his life to save twice before. It looked like nothing more than a green-blue marble floating against the empty void of space.

Suddenly, there was a noise... a groan, and Jak spun around swiftly. Then, even more terribly, a scream of pain. Driven by a morbid curiosity, Jak followed the noise to its source.

He came to a doorway that was protected by Dark Eco. Jak almost walked away when he realized that he was in a Dark Maker's body, and that Dark Makers had complete control over the Dark substance. So, with a wave of his huge, clawed hand, Jak willed the Dark Eco to part for him, which it did, opening up for him without complaint.

What he saw inside caused an unfamiliar emotion, pity, to tug at his heart. It was the same room that he dreamed about all those months ago, the one where the sorry being was being tortured by those Dark beings. He knew now that those Dark creatures were Dark Makers... and he knew now their victim... it was Erol.

The elf that had been Jak's mortal enemy, that STILL was Jak's mortal enemy, was in bad shape after Jak's Light Eco-based assault, and he was near-death. The only thing that kept him alive was the various life-support machines. It seemed that, when the Dark Makers altered his DNA, they neglected to give him any tolerance to any of the other Ecos.

Jak had seen Dark Eco Poisoning... hell, he almost died because of it. But he had never seen Light Eco Poisoning before. It was similar to Dark Eco Poisoning, by the look of things... the vomiting and the pain, except Light Eco vomit was running down from the corners of Erol's mouth. Even as Jak watched, he vomited more, almost drowning in his own vomit... all and all... not a pretty sight.

"Still... it might be more pleasant to vomit Light Eco than Dark Eco." Jak said, mainly to himself. As he looked down at Erol, he felt a rare ounce of pity. "You poor bastard, look what they've done to you. This is why only Channelers should handle the Ecos." Jak stood there for several seconds before he spoke again. "I should kill you... right now. It would be the best thing for both of us... Tiatin would say that. Better to die quickly and almost painfully than to suffer days of Eco Poisoning." Jak placed his deadly claws against Erol's throat... ready to cut into his throat, and let his own beating heart drive the blood from his body. "You should thank me, Erol. I am showing you more mercy than you would have shown me."

"Hey!" A new, Dark Maker voice yelled. Jak looked around. It was a true Dark Maker, standing in the doorway. All the Dark Maker saw was one of his own kind trying to murder their own Champion. "Traitor! You're trying to..." But the unfortunate Dark Maker never finished his sentence. Jak leapt forward with Dark Maker speed and sliced the creature in half.

Jak stared down at the body, and he heard more Dark Makers coming down the hall, attracted by the commotion. "Shit!" Jak swore just before the Dark Makers piled into the room, about a dozen in all.

The one leading them gasped when he saw the body. He looked at Jak, who hid his Dark Eco-covered claws behind his back. "You there! What happened here?"

Then Jak realized the value of being in a Dark Maker's body. He could probably play this off if he didn't say or do anything stupid. "There was a traitor!" Jak said in his oily Dark Maker voice. "He was trying to destroy our Champion! He and I came in here to stop him, but he killed him and got away." Jak prayed to the Precursors that this story would hold up to the Dark Maker's scrutiny.

It seemed that the Dark Makers didn't question his story. "Well, go out there and help us find him! Karnac will kill us both if we allowed a traitor to run amok." The Dark Makers turned around and rushed back out into the hallway to find the 'traitor'. Jak had no choice but to follow them. It would've looked suspicious if he had remained behind. _Dammit! I should have killed Erol, and then the Dark Maker! I could have been done with this whole thing!_

He followed the Dark Makers for a while, before he separated from them, traveling down a separate path on a whim, or, at least he thought it was a whim. He came face-to-face with a door marked 'Shield Control Room', and Jak walked in.

As soon as he saw the inside, and the large generators that powered the Ship's shields, the same strange feeling of slowly being pulled out of his body returned, but this time, the pull came from his chest and stopped... like a warning. "There must be something for me to do in here." Jak said, clutching his chest. Then, it was so obvious. He had to destroy the Shields. Without the Shields, the ship would be vulnerable to attack.

The same voice that brought him there filled his head. _Destroy the generators that power the Shields, and we shall take care of the rest..._

There was another tug at Jak's chest and a gasped. "Okay, I'll destroy them!" He moved over to the large generator and, using his super-human strength, pushed the object over where it fell and shattered into a million pieces... irreparable damage. Lights began to flash and alarms began to sound. "Now get me the hell out of here!" Jak yelled.

A final tug, stronger than the last ones, pulled him out of the Dark Maker's body and back into the void. But the void wasn't empty this time. A being, a Precursor that radiated so much energy that Jak was almost suffocated by its pure power, stood before him. "Our hero." The Precursor said. "You have tipped the scales once again. We, the Precursors, may finally win this War, with you at our side, as our Brother."

"Your Brother? Jak asked. "What do you mean by that?"

"You have the potential." The Precursor said. "Look down at yourself, Lva Lm Vl Vhea. _One Of No Name._ "

Jak did as he was told and gasped, despite himself. It wasn't the his body, or even the body of a Dark Maker that he saw. He was in the body of a Precursor...

Before Jak even had time to ponder what he had seen, he felt the pull at his chest again and he past through the void and was suddenly in his own body again. He sat up swiftly. "What the...?"

"Jak! You're awake!" Jak looked around. It was Keira who had spoken.

Confusion filled the elf. "Where am I? What's going on?"

"Jak, calm down!" Keira said soothingly. Jak could tell that she had been crying. "After you passed out in the forest, Daxter used the hologram emitter to call us. He told us..." Keira paused, apparently over-come with emotion. "He said that you had lost your soul."

Jak sat up, he was back in the Freedom League HQ, in some sort of infirmary. He took Keira in his arms and simply held her for the sake of holding her. "I didn't lose my soul." Jak said comfortingly. "I just had a little out-of-body experience." He said with a small smile.

"Daddy told me you might not be coming beck from the Wasteland." Keira said. "What are you doing back here so soon?"

"I guess I have some more stuff to do here in Haven." Jak said.

Keira pressed herself into Jak's embrace and smiled against his chest. "I love you." She said.

Jak smiled warmly as he held her closer, if at all possible. "I love you, too." Keira had her arms wrapped tightly around his back... a little too tightly. "Ow!"

Keira pulled away instantly. "What is it?" She asked.

Jak looked away from her, trying to ignore the stabbing pain that had shot through his back just a second ago. "It's nothing." He said. But he knew that Keira knew that he was lying. "It's just some old wounds."

"But... your healing powers take care of wounds, don't they?" Keira asked.

"Yeah, they would. But... there are some wounds that even my healing powers can't fix. Besides... these wounds are from my prison time... during the time when I was more animal than elf... before I got my healing powers." Jak paused. "Even after all these years... they still hurt sometimes..."

"Let me see." Keira said.

Jak hesitated. "I never wanted you to see the scars. Even that night... I preyed to the Precursors that you wouldn't notice anything."

"Is that why I couldn't touch your back?" Keira asked.

"I guess..." Jak smiled sorrowfully. "I guess pushing you away like that brought more attention to it than if I had just let you feel them." Jak sighed, seeing that Keira wasn't to be swayed. He took off, first his breastplate and then his shirt. Then he turned his back to Keira and what she saw brought tears to her eyes.

It was like Jak's back was one big scar, wounds that have never fully healed even though two years had pasted since he first received them. It was like someone had taken a cheese-grater to Jak's back. "Oh Jak..." She almost cried. "Who did this to you?"

"Erol." Jak said. "Dark Eco injections was not the only torture we were subjected to. These 'knife' sessions happened during our blackouts, so I don't remember them. All I remember is waking up to being in pain. He concentrated on our backs, so we wouldn't die. But, after we got our healing powers, he moved on to other places... like my face." Jak shook his head. "Every other wound I've ever received has healed, but these ones refuse to be healed... not even my Light Powers can take the scars away. I guess I'm cursed with them as a memory of my time in prison... of my pain..."

A tear ran down Keira's face as she gingerly touched a jagged scar that was all that was left of a long and ragged wound. "Jak, I'm so sorry that this happened to you..."

"Shit happens." Jak said simply, pulling away from Keira's touch. "I know that better anyone else. Bad stuff happens, but I can't let it get to me. At least... Ashelin had that god-awful torture device destroyed..."

"Exactly." Keira said, moving around to Jak's front. "But... maybe there's a reason that you have to keep these scars."

Jak smiled, and then changed the topic, desperate to talk about something else. "I wasn't sure if I ever was going to see you again when I left for Spargus." Without another word, Jak tenderly took Keira's face in his hands and pressed a loving kiss to her forehead. Keira turned her face upwards until their lips met in a slow, passionate kiss.

"Sweet Precursors!" The couple pulled apart instantly. Daxter was standing in the doorway, staring at the couple. "Oh my God, Jak, you're awake! We thought we had lost you for a second! Even Samos was positive that you had lost your soul... oh..." Then Daxter seemed to realize the scene he had walked in on. "Oh... we're you making out? I'm sorry... I'll just... leave..." He backed out and closed the door.

Jak shook his head. "Now... can we try that again?"

Keira smiled. "Anything for you, my love."

They kissed again.

* * *

After a long make-out, several embraces, and billions of whispered sweet nothings, they finally emerged from the infirmary, but Jak stopped Keira in the hallway. "Keira, you know I love you, right?"

Keira stared at Jak. "Of course I do."

Jak took a breath to calm his nerves. "Keira... will you...?"

"Are you two love birds done yet?" Daxter, who had just walked into the hallway, demanded. Keira glared at Daxter for interrupting yet again. "Oops..." Daxter ran away swiftly.

"Now..." Keira turned back towards Jak. "What were you going to ask?"

Jak cleared his throat nervously. He had lost his nerve. "It's nothing." He walked away towards the control room.

Keira watched him go. "Oh Jak... I wish you would let me heal your scars."

* * *

Jak walked into the control room in a general bad mood. "Sleeping Demon." Torn said teasingly. "So, you do live." Jak growled.

Ashelin walked up to the elf from behind. "Oh, Jak, we were worried about you."

"Well, I'm fine now." Jak said.

"That's good that you're fine. But Haven City is not 'fine'. Things are going down the crapper really fast." Ashelin said. "We've got to lighten the load."

"And I suppose you know how we can do that?" Jak asked as Daxter came into the room slowly to avoid attracting Jak's wrath.

"We've got a plan... but it's risky." Ashelin said.

"Well, of course, it couldn't be easy. Nooo!" Daxter exclaimed. "And I'm sure Jak and I are on the very short list to head up the mission, huh?"

"No." Ashelin said. "This mission is of vital importance. I'm giving it to Torn and Jinx."

Daxter blinked. "WHAT?" He demanded. "I suppose you don't think we're good enough! You don't think we can do it!"

"Daxter..." Jak sighed with exasperation.

"Let me remind you that this team of Daxter, Jak, and Daxter has taken on just about every scary thing this world can throw at us for three... count 'em, THREE adventures!" Daxter ranted.

"Dax!"

"This is an outrage, Jak!" Daxter continued his rant. "We're the heroes! We're the ones on cereal boxes for God's sake! And I'm about to release my own line of sports shoes! I've got a contract!"

Jak stared at Daxter. "Cereal boxes? Sports shoes? When did all that happen?"

Ashelin shook her head in annoyance at the orange rat. "You two are on the mission. Your job will be to cover Torn and Jinx in a vehicle filled with explosives. Make your way to the Metal-Head nest in the old Farming District. Together, you'll blow open the Nest."

"Oh..." Daxter said, scratching the back of his neck. "Well, why didn't you say so in the first place?"

"You didn't give me the chance." Ashelin hissed at Daxter, and then she turned to Jak. "And Jak... please be careful. I... we can't afford to lose you."

"I know." Jak said rather calmly, considering the look that Ashelin was giving him, a heated look, but not a heated angry look... He walked away, followed by Daxter.

Once Jak was gone, Torn exploded. "What the hell was that?" He demanded.

"What?" Ashelin asked, rather taken aback by Torn's outburst.

"That whole thing there!" Torn practically yelled. He paused, thinking. "You love him, don't you?"

Ashelin's jaw dropped. "How dare you suggest that? Jak and I are just friends! You know, that was always your problem... you always assumed that I was seeing other people behind your back!"

"I'm only telling you this because I still... care about you." Torn said. "If you pursue this... crush, it will only break your heart. Jak has Keira, and I've never seen him look at you the way he looks at her! He will not leave Keira for you."

"There's nothing between me and Jak!" Ashelin said. "Besides, it's none of your business anyway, Torn!"

Torn stared at the she-elf for several seconds. "Fine, but don't come crying to me when he breaks your heart."

"I won't." Ashelin said. Torn stormed out after Jak. When she was all alone, she began to weep. It was all lies, and she knew it. She knew of her feelings for Jak, she knew that she had fallen in love with him... even if that love was not returned. But she also saw the truth in Torn's words. Jak would never leave Keira for her. She saw it every time she looked at him. He was head-over-heels in love... but he was in love with someone else. It was almost more than she could bare. "I'm so sorry for complicating things, Jak." Ashelin cried. "But I love you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll never forgive this part of the third game for making me add in the hints of Jak and Ashelin. Ugh. But, just like the series, it should be there, and it should be little more than a speed bump. This relationship might have been partially reciprocated in the game, but it's purely one-sided in this story.


	38. The Haven Metal-Head Nest

Jak, however, was completely unaware that Ashelin had just confessed her love for him, nor was he aware of the possible compilations of that crush. So he walked up to the Freedom League vehicle. Jinx was sitting behind the controls.

"Hey, Jakkie-Boy, looks like we're teamed up again!" Jinx exclaimed.

Jak jumped into shotgun. "Listen, Jinx, could you not call me 'Jakkie-Boy', 'Pretty-Boy', 'Blondie', or any other of your weird nicknames?" Jak asked. "It's really annoying."

"Sure thing, Jakkie-Boy." Jinx said. Daxter laughed while Jak rolled his eyes.

Torn walked out of the Head Quarters and walked over to the explosives-filled vehicle. He glared at Jak angrily as he passed. Jak glared right back. "What the hell is your problem?" Jak demanded.

"You're my problem, you bastard!" Torn growled.

Jak rolled his eyes again and bit his tongue to stop an angry reply. It only partially worked. "Is this about Ashelin? You don't have to be a genius to see that there's _nothing_ between us! You can have her!"

While Jak spoke, he noticed that Torn's hand inched towards the dagger that he carried at all times. He was just itching to whip out the dagger and stab Jak through the heart with it. He wasn't overly worried. His reflexes were several times faster than the normal elf's. He would be able to tear Torn into bite-sized pieces before the dagger left its sheath.

Torn seemed to realize that the potential fight was not one that he could win. As much as he hated to admit it, Jak was a far better fighter than himself. And, even though he had never been properly trained in swordsmanship, none but the best sword-masters could hope to match the speed and power of his blade. Even Torn wasn't stupid enough to bite off more than he could chew. Besides, Torn could see a bit of insanity in Jak's eyes.

The insanity that Torn saw was merely Jak's animal-like instincts... his dominance instincts to be exact. Jak felt that his superiority was being challenged! He would not submit to a creature weaker than himself. It was like when he was in prison... when he was more animal than elf.

Torn backed down from the fight and Jak grinned. He had won!

"Okay..." Jinx said uncertainly at the display of pure testosterone. "Can we go now?"

"Whatever." Jak sat down in the seat and took control of the gun.

"Remember, this is a mission." Jinx reminded the young elf. "Don't let your judgement be clouded by whatever argument you and Torn are having."

"Sure. But it's hard when, in a single accusation, he accused me of, not only being unfaithful to _my_ girlfriend, but cheating on her with his ex-girlfriend!" Jak hissed. "Cheating on Keira with Ashelin? Yeah right. Not in a million years! There are things about Ashelin that I'd never be able to get over."

"Just out of curiosity, what would that be?" Jinx asked.

"Well, for one, she's Praxis' daughter." Jak said. "Even now, she's a reminder of the torture I endured on her father's orders!"

"Will you two quit talking back there?" Torn demanded. "This mission is going to be hard enough without me worrying that you idiots will slip off into meaningless conversation."

Jak then proceeded to call Torn several things in less-than-clean language. But he was careful to use the Ancient Language so that Torn wouldn't be able to understand him. If he knew what Jak called him, he probably would have tried to kill him right then and there.

Torn knew that Jak had insulted him and/or swore at him. But Torn's pride wouldn't allow him to ask Jak for a translation. So he merely glared at the young punk, asking himself for the billionth time how such a cocky, arrogant, and rash man like Jak became such a good fighter (his only redeeming quality). Torn dropped the issue and started the engine on his explosives-filled vehicle. One thing was for sure, this may be the start of a long feud between the two elves, one that wouldn't end until Torn was sure that Jak wasn't after Ashelin.

Jak took control of the weapon's system in the Freedom League vehicle. He was in 'evil' mode, and he wondered just how good his aim was. For example: how close could he shoot at Torn's head without spilling brain matter all over the place?

Jak was sure it was millimeters.

* * *

Well, thankfully for Torn, Jak never experimented with his aim, and never shot closer to Torn's head than a good foot. They made it without major indecent to the Metal-Head controlled Farming District. Torn drove up to the sealed door of the Metal-Head Tower. He lined up the vehicle and abandoned it at just the right moment. The zoomer flew into the door and exploded, blowing a large hole into the Nest... a way inside.

"Ashelin..." Jinx spoke into the radio. "Phase One complete."

Ashelin answered and sniffed loudly, as if she had been crying. Jak, Jinx, and Daxter all stared at each other. "Great job. Now, Jak, I want you to fight your way through the Metal-Head Tower, destroy everything that moves, and find some way to destroy it. After destroying the Metal-Head Tower, this war should be a walk in the park. But, still, be careful. Without you... everything would be lost."

"Enough, Ashelin." Jak said. "I know the full extent of my failure... even better than you do. I will not fail. I'll win... or I'll die trying."

This phrase seemed to drive Ashelin into a panic. "No, please, you can't let yourself die! You don't know how precious you are to... this City..." She disconnected suddenly.

Jinx laughed at the conversation he just heard. "Hey, man, you may not feel anything more for her than friendship, but she most definitely cares about you... in a loving way. The only thing that conversation lacked as an 'I love you'."

"I don't really care how she feels about me." Jak said rather coldly. "I'm already in love, and I would kill myself before I allowed myself to fall out of love with Keira."

"That serious, huh?"

"That serious." Jak confirmed.

"So... how long before you get really serious with this girl?" Jinx asked.

"Yeah!" Daxter piped in. "Are you gonna marry Keira or what?"

Jak didn't answer, instead, he merely jumped out of the fighter and walked over to the makeshift doorway. Daxter, jumping up onto his shoulder.

They entered the large antechamber of the Metal-Head tower and instantly met resistance. Several Metal-Heads of various species ran into the room. As soon as Jak saw them, a Dark and Light sword appeared in both hands and the Metal-Heads stopped, staring at the sight before them. Metal-Heads, despite appearances, are not dumb beasts, and they knew the stories of Mar. The one that stood before then looked like a figure stepped out of legend, they could definitely see the resemblance. He looked exactly like a younger Mar, except with a few deliberate mistakes.

The Metal-Heads eventually got over their spell and one roared a challenge and launched itself at Jak, followed by the others.

The two Eco-blades flashed in an intricate pattern and the first Metal-Head fell to the blood-soaked ground in ribbons. The few that couldn't stop before they reached Jak had their heads cut off or their hearts cut out.

The other Metal-Heads stopped and stood back. One gave an order in a hiss and the others surrounded him. Jak wasn't unduly worried.

The Metal-Head behind him jumped at him. "Jak!" Daxter warned, but Jak was already counterattacking.

Like lightning, Jak spun around and spin-kicked the Metal-Head in the jaw. It would've survived and walked away with a broken jaw if the force of the blow hadn't propelled him into a wall, shattering its skull instantly.

Several more attacked from all angles, but Jak kept up with them, cutting them to pieces with the Eco-blades.

Finally, the attacks stopped and Jak was surrounded by dozens of Metal-Head bodies. The elf stepped over the bodies and through the portal that led to the main room of the Tower. It was pretty empty except for a large platform at the top. The only way up was to fly. Jak quickly let his Light Transformation overtake him, his huge, feathery wings erupting painlessly from his back.

"Ugh! Why do we always have to go up?" Daxter asked. Being an Ottsel, Daxter had a natural fear of heights... unless he was in a tree.

"In all my time adventuring, I've learned that the prizes tend to be at the top." Light Jak said with a shrug.

"Yeah, along with the crazy monsters that try to kill you." Daxter grumbled.

Light Jak spread his wings and took to the air, flying up to the platform which was several hundred feet up. A huge tower that was taller than the Palace... if it was still standing.

After several minutes of hard flapping, Jak made it to the platform and landed, instantly changing back into his normal form.

Something was waiting on the platform... a Dark Maker, but it was the largest Dark Maker Jak had seen yet. It stood over ten feet tall and had claws that were a foot and a half long! It turned around and bared its teeth in a strange smile. "Jak, Son of Mar, let me just say it is a pleasure to meet you at last." The Dark Maker bowed to him, a mocking gesture.

Jak walked over to it, well aware that his head only went up to the Dark Maker's middle. "You're Karnac, aren't you?"

"Very astute, Chosen One." Karnac said. "Yes, I am Karnac. I am honored that you know of me."

"I've heard your name once." Jak said. "So... you're the Dark Maker Leader?"

Karnac laughed. "Hardly. I am one of the many generals in the Dark Maker army... little better than a pawn like yourself. Our true Leader, whose name can never be spoken for fear of assassination, is in another galaxy, overseeing the fighting on a much more... important planet. In fact, its the same planet where the Precursor Elders are." Karnac paused. "I am here to offer you a deal. Personally, I am rather sick of this stupid little back-water planet. I don't understand why the Precursors hold your race in such high regard when there are so many other stronger... more intelligent races out there."

"What's the deal?" Jak interrupted.

"Very well. As you well know, our Champion is badly injured, so he is unable to fight you." Karnac said. "He is dying."

"So, are you giving me the win?" Jak asked.

"No. We propose a tie. You have injured our Champion, and he will be dead within hours. So I will injure you to the point where you'll be unable to fight."

"It's no good." Jak said. "Even if I agreed, I have healing powers. With time, I can heal even fatal injuries. I'd be ready to fight again within a few days."

"I suppose saying I'll injure you is the wrong phrase. 'incapacitate' would be more appropriate." Karnac said.

"So... you're gonna kill me." Jak said with a growl.

"No. As easy as it would be, I won't kill you. It is against the Ancient rules. Even we Dark Makers must respect the rules laid down for us eons ago. We can't risk killing you and starting a war with the Precursors." Karnac said. "Actually, we are going to make you incapable of just about everything except breathing."

"So... what you really want is my soul." Jak said, finally understanding. "How do I know that you aren't just trying to get me out of the way? If I become a life-less puppet, there will be no one to protect this planet from you."

"Quite right. But we Dark Makers only want repayment for the humiliation we suffered at Mar's hands five hundred years ago. You are his direct descendant, and as his great-great-great grandchild, you will be the one to pay the price."

"So... I have to reap the punishment for a mistake my ancestor made five hundred years ago?" Jak demanded. "What about my planet! Stop avoiding the question, Karnac!"

"You show a surprising amount of love for this back-water planet." Karnac observed. "Very well, give up your soul to us, and we'll leave this planet and never return."

 _'Don't do it!'_ Light said. _'Nothing is more precious than your soul! Even a wounded soul is still a soul! Don't give yourself up!'_

 **'Don't do it!'** Dark snapped. **'If you do give your soul up, than I shall never go on my lovely rampages again!'**

So they were selfish after all... human... they were out for self-preservation first and foremost.

"Jak, you can't do this!" Daxter said. "Think of your friends! Think of Keira!"

"Be quiet, freak!" Karnac hissed. "This is his decision, not yours!"

Jak remained silent for several seconds, his brow furrowed, as if in thought. He opened his mouth, as if to say something, and then shut it just as quickly. Several seconds later, he finally spoke. "The time comes when every hero when he must give up his life for the greater good. I never imagined that I would instead give up my soul and live out the rest of my days as a self-less puppet."

"Jak...?" Daxter asked.

"I'm tired... inside and out." Jak said. "I guess I've been somewhat of a Death-seeker since I arrived here... since prison. If Karnac promises to keep his word... I'll do it."

"Jak!" Daxter yelled. "Think about Keira, if not anything else!"

"I am." Jak said sadly. "And I'd rather see her safe and lonely than dead in a million years."

"Keira can't survive without you!" Daxter yelled. "She nearly died the last time you seemed to have lost your soul!"

Jak looked right at Daxter. "You'll have to watch over her." Jak said, grabbing Daxter off his shoulder and setting him down on the ground. "Life is pain, and I can't take it any longer." Daxter saw something strange in Jak's eyes when he looked right into them. "Just tell Keira that I love her, and I wish it could have been different." The words, though it was something that Jak would have said, didn't feel right at all. There was no love in those words, as if someone were speaking the words through Jak's mouth...

Daxter paused, thinking. He had seen Jak be controlled by Tiatin before. Could a Dark Maker have the same power... to control people? Daxter saw a small grin appear on the Dark Maker's face and he realized that Karnac was influencing this entire conversation. Jak was not himself! He couldn't help his actions as Karnac forced Jak to give up his own soul! "Jak! Get a grip on yourself! Karnac is controlling you!"

Jak looked at Daxter strangely, his eyes were blank... no emotion what so ever. "No one is controlling me." The elf said. "Karnac said himself... it's my decision."

"No! Jak! You can't let him do this to you!" Daxter yelled.

"Shut-up, freak!" Karnac growled, sending a blast of Dark Eco straight at Daxter. It connected, but Daxter appeared to be unharmed by the deadly blast. But that wasn't the worst of it. Jak hadn't even blinked at the attempt to kill his best friend, more proof that he wasn't himself. The real Jak was currently trapped in the back of his own mind, unaware of what was going on.

The Karnac-controlled Jak stood before the Dark Maker. "To end this war, I give my soul."

"Very good." Karnac grinned. "Now, wake up."

The emotion returned to Jak's eyes as Karnac released his control on him. He looked around in confusion. "What's going on here?" He demanded.

"You have just given my your soul, Chosen One." Karnac grinned. He held out a clawed hand and Jak felt a vicious tug at his chest. Jak was forced to his knees, clutching his heart, as the pain of literally being torn apart filled him. The tugging stopped, and Jak gasped, but he was still aware of himself... and his pain. "You've got a strong soul... it should've come with one good pull. Oh well. Even the strongest of souls can be ripped from their settings." The Dark Maker held out his hand again and the pulling began again, only stronger and more painfully then ever before. Jak could not help a cry that escaped his lips.

 _So... this pain will be the last thing I ever feel?_ Jak thought through the pain. _Keira... I'm so sorry..._

Suddenly the pain stopped and Jak fell forward onto the ground, barely able to support himself on his weakened limbs. He was still in one piece, his soul was not gone. Jak looked up weakly and saw the Dark Maker taking a step back from him. "What the... my word..." But Karnac wasn't staring at Jak... but just behind him.

He heard Daxter's voice off to the side. "Oh my God!" And then he felt someone touch his shoulder, and he was half afraid of what he would see when he looked around.

Finally, the weakened elf couldn't stand it any longer, so he looked over his shoulder and gasped in surprise. It was a sight he never thought he'd see in his whole life. It was Mar... in all the glory of his legend. The Ancient Elvin Warrior-King wore the armor that Jak wore now, for Mar had appeared as he had in his youth, when he was not much older than Jak. Jak instantly noticed the similarities between himself and his ancestor. They shared green hair, though Mar's hair lacked the blonde highlights that Jak's had. They shared the same face and build, but Mar's eyes were not blue... but green, matching his hair almost perfectly. He was also glowing, showing that he was little more than a ghost or a spirit.

Karnac recovered from the initial shock of having an elf dead for five hundred years appear before him. "Mar! What a pleasant surprise!" Karnac said with false warmth at his former enemy. "Five hundred years, hasn't it been?"

"Quite." Mar said simply, looking straight down at Jak. For an instant, ancestor and descendant's eyes met. And then Mar looked away from Jak and back at Karnac. "Why do you want my son's soul?"

Karnac growled. "So... you were the one preventing me from taking it... even in death... you are as powerful as ever." There was silence in the room for several seconds before Karnac answered Mar's question. "If you will recall your mistake made during the War of the Champions in which you were the Precursor Champion... or have you been dead too long? Well... someone has to pay for your mistake."

"Exactly... my mistake." Mar said. The Warrior-King moved around Jak, calmly placing himself between Karnac and Jak. "Is it right that the innocent should pay for the crimes of the guilty?"

"Forever questioning what is right and what is wrong..." Karnac mused. "Five hundred years hasn't changed you a bit."

"Likewise." Mar said. "Still attempting to sabotage your enemies, I see? I seem to remember a number of times you threatened my life..." Mar added quite calmly.

"It is what is right for me and my kind." Karnac defended himself. "Isn't that what you yourself said? That every being should discover its own right and wrong?"

"It's true. There are many certainties in this physical world... birth, death, love, and indeed, hate. But there is one thing that is truly uncertain, and it is right and wrong."

"For being so young on the outside, you are old on the inside, Mar." Karnac laughed.

"A King must be wise and cunning beyond his years." Mar said. "But, why do you presume that you have any claim to the soul of my children... just because he happened to be my direct descendant and heir? Which, by the way, is something that no being, no matter how powerful, can control." Mar paused thoughtfully. "Would it not be much more direct to take my own soul for my crimes?"

"But..." Jak began.

Mar turned around to face his descendant again. "Do not fear for me, young one." He said with a smile. "I have been dead for a long time and I no longer have a life on this earthly realm. Everything I knew... everyone that I had loved is gone now. But you, my son, your life is not yet over. You have those still that care about you... and love you. And I could never stand by and allow them to destroy your life for my sake..."

"Wait..." Jak said suddenly. "It was you! You were the voice that helped me all those times! You were the one that helped me disable the Palace security system!"

Mar laughed. "Indeed, it was me. I had to help you, because you have a great destiny, just as I did. You... have so much to live for. Whether my soul is in the afterlife, or the abyss where the Precursors yet reside, it matters not to me for I know that I live on through my children... through you." Mar paused. "Fight Vhfaoeii Lva _Nameless One_ , and end this war forever." Mar turned back to Karnac. "You may do it now, Karnac. You have my permission, and I will not fight you."

Karnac growled loudly. He knew that Mar had backed him up into a corner. If he refused to take Mar's soul, then Jak would know instantly that Karnac just wanted him out of the way. But if he did take Mar's soul, he would lose all of his claim to Jak's soul. The elf would go back to being protected, as always, by the rules of engagement. Karnac made the only choice he could, he held out a clawed hand for Mar's soul, just as he did for Jak's.

Mar began to fade away as his soul was pulled into the abyss, to be lost forever. But, before he surrendered himself completely, he turned to Jak. "Remember, my son, no matter where my soul resides, I will always live on through you and your heirs. As long as Mar's line continues... I will never truly be gone." With those final words, Mar's spirit faded away, to be lost forever... except in the souls of his heirs and children... in Jak.

Suddenly, Karnac roared angrily. He pointed a clawed finger at Jak, who stood up swiftly, ready to fight. "Mar may have just saved you from living out your life as a soulless puppet, but there is no law that says a Champion can't die in a falling building!" Karnac raised his claws up and there was a great crack, and then the whole building began to tip wildly. "Farewell, Jak, son of Mar!" Karnac disappeared in a flash of purple light.

Jak looked around wildly for a means of escape. If he was still in this tower when it hit the ground, he'd die. A small window caught his eye. He would have to fly from this wreckage. However, the hole was much too small for Jak to crawl through with his huge wings. He would have to crawl through in his normal form, free fall, and then transform on the way down.

Jak jumped over to Daxter and grabbed him. "Hang on!" Jak leapt for the window and crawled through it. Then he launched himself into empty space. For a cartoon-like moment, Jak hung suspended in the air, and then he began to free fall to the City streets several hundred feet down.

Daxter screamed that Jak was insane, and then kept on screaming. With a flash of light, Jak transformed into his winged-angelic Light Side. He flapped his large wings to get lift... there was none... only dead air... no lift or updrafts to help him. He was still falling.

He began to flap wildly in an attempt to get any sort of lift. If he hit the ground at this speed, every bone in his body would shatter, and he'd most likely die before he got the chance to heal his injuries. He fell another hundred feet.

Finally, when the ground was much too close for comfort... less than a hundred feet down... he caught an updraft. He spread his feathery wings, caught the warm air, and pulled out of his dive just in time. The falling tower fell past him and he paused to watch it. The tower fell and effectively destroyed most of the Metal-Head section of the City.

"You are crazy! You are insane!" Daxter ranted from Light Jak's arms. "If that didn't work, we could've BOTH died!"

Light Jak sighed. "Would you have preferred to be in there?" The Angelic Eco creature asked, pointing down at the ruined tower.

"Good point." Daxter said, clinging onto the front of Jak's shirt to keep him from falling if Light Jak should decide to let go of him. "This sucks. Ottsels aren't meant to be this high up!"

"You and me both." Light Jak said, disproving this statement by preforming a perfect backwards flip, which caused Daxter to scream again. And he began to fly back to HQ.

* * *

Unknown to Jak, hundreds of thousands of miles away, in space... Tiatin walked the halls of the Dark Ship, the _Veelen_. He encountered no resistance as he moved through the Dark hallways, sticking out like a sore thumb. Finally, he came to the room he was looking for.

Tiatin entered the room and found it empty, as he intended, except for the sad monster strapped to the table, drowning in its own vomit. The young Precursor could see right away, that Erol was only hours away from death, and the Dark Makers were powerless to stop the Light Eco from destroying his body and mind. Tiatin stood behind the table. "Poor creature." He said. "Sadly, it will be many hundreds of years before the Dark Makers realize that using genetic manipulation this way is folly. Creatures are not meant to become things they are not meant to be. A Channeler may become many things quite naturally, but not a being with no Channeling blood of his own. A non-Channeler should not become a Channeler for this reason..."

Tiatin put his hand just above Erol's forehead, being careful not to touch him. A white substance began to flow out of Erol's body and was absorbed my Tiatin.

Tiatin was absorbing the Light Eco from Erol's body...


	39. The Palace Ruins

But Light Jak did not suspect that, at that very moment, Tiatin was drawing the deadly Light Eco out of Erol's body. In fact, he was more concerned with the figure that stood atop the roof of the Freedom League HQ. It was Keira, and she did not seem to notice him. Of course, she didn't realize that he could approach from the sky.

Light Jak flew over her head and landed softly behind her. She didn't appear to hear him. "Don't worry, your guardian angel is here." He said.

Keira brightened up instantly. "Jak!" She spun around, but she stopped and stared, for Jak had not lost his wings. "Jak?" She repeated, amazed. "You've got... wings!"

Light Jak laughed. "Quite a surprise, isn't it? The Demon is really an angel."

Keira continued to stare at the wings on his back. He must've had a eighteen-foot wingspan. "Are they real?"

"Yes, they're real." With supreme gentleness, Light Jak extended one of his wings and brushed the tip of a single feather against her cheek.

She giggled as the feather tickled her. "Oh Jak, you never cease to amaze me."

Daxter rolled his eyes. "Oh brother..." He sighed as he jumped off Light Jak's shoulder.

It seemed that Daxter made the right decision as Keira threw herself into Light Jak's arms. He caught her easily and pressed his lips against hers. After several seconds, Light Jak got the feeling that they were being watched. He took his mouth away from Keira for a second to find Daxter staring at them.

"Don't mind me." Daxter said.

Light Jak merely smiled and spread his wing over himself and Keira. One wing was more than sufficient to cover them. After all, everyone from the meanest peasant to the greatest King deserved a few moments of privacy.

* * *

Some time later after Jak had returned to normal and after Daxter had left the two to be alone, they sat on the roof together, simply looking down at the City.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Keira asked suddenly.

"What? That we could love each other so much?" Jak asked with a smile.

The she-elf elbowed Jak's side lightly. "No... it's just amazing how things have happened this way... all of it." She moved her hand in a vague motion in an attempt to convey _everything_ that had happened in the last three years. Then she smiled over at Jak. "Has love blinded you to everything else?"

"If that is a crime, then I plead guilty." Jak said.

"Jak!" She leaned up against his shoulder. "After all this stuff that's happened to us and between us... we're still together and in love."

"That's what I meant!" Jak said, referring to his earlier answer. After a slight pause, Jak spoke again. "Remember, when we were children back in Sandover?" He asked, and Keira nodded. "Back when we were still brother and sister... even then, I loved you."

Keira laughed. "We were only children! We played on the beach, we went swimming in the ocean, we went into the forest against daddy's wishes. We were only children."

"For Precursor soul-mates, it didn't matter." Jak said. "We may not be Precursors, but I know in my heart that we are soul-mates."

"Hmm..." Keira hummed. "Perhaps you're right. Maybe we are meant to be..."

"We _are_ meant to be." Jak said firmly. "I know it every time I kiss you, and I knew for sure that night..."

"That night." Keira repeated. "Will we ever do it again?"

Jak stared at her. "If I live... more than likely." Jak smiled down at her. "I love you, Keira... until the day I die..."

"No, Jak." Keira said. "Forever."

Jak smiled. "Forever." He agreed.

Keira suddenly pulled away from Jak and pulled something out of her pocket. It was a small, blue scarf... one that she must've found somewhere. "Here, I want you to wear this." She tied the scarf around Jak's right arm, just above the elbow... it was a maiden's colors for her chosen warrior or Champion.

"Keira?" Jak began.

"I pray that you'll be victorious in your upcoming fight." Keira said, the beginnings of tears in her eyes. "I know that you'll do everything in your power to win."

Jak took Keira into his arms, and she began to cry into his chest. He let her, knowing that she was extremely worried about him. Jak wished that he could still let tears fall from his eyes. But he had only cried three times in the last three years.

He couldn't cry now, the ability had been bled out of him in prison. So he only held the woman he loved as she let tears fall for her lover, envying her that she managed to maintain herself in this City when he could not.

"Keira... no matter what the future holds... no matter what happens to me... I'll always love you." Jak touched the scarf on his arm. "And thank you, Keira, thank you for believing in me and loving me when no one else would."

Keira pulled her lover into a long, passionate kiss which he gladly returned. "Maybe, someday, you'll find a way to get rid of your scars... not just the ones on your back, but the ones on your heart and soul."

"Maybe." Jak said. "Can there be redemption for demonic murderers?"

"What about fallen angels?" Keira asked.

"I don't know." Jak said. "This angel has committed terrible crimes." Jak then recited the short poem that Onin had told him long ago:

_"The Angel lives in Heaven_

_White without a Stain_

_The Angel falls out of Heaven_

_Into a life of Pain_

_The Angel yearns for Heaven_

_But instead is stuck in Hell_

_Will the Angel get back to Heaven?_

_Only the Angel can Tell."_

Jak sighed. "It's true. I want things to just go back to the way they used to be... but I can't see how."

"Only the Angel can tell..." Keira recited. "I think that says that you are in control of your own destiny."

Jak couldn't help but laugh. "The ruler of Spargus... he told me the same exact thing."

"Spargus..." Keira paused. "What's it like?"

"Very different from Haven." Jak said. "Since it is in the desert, it is usually very hot, well into the hundreds every day. But you get used to it. Spargus is only four years old, so there are very few 'native born' Spargains. Most of the people are banished like me or people who left Haven behind for one reason or another. Even though Spargus is made up of Haven's scum, there is no crime. My King is able to rule with a firm hand without becoming oppressive like Praxis." Jak said the last sentence without thinking.

"Your King?" Keira asked.

Jak suddenly realized his mistake in saying 'My King.' "Keira... He is My King now." Jak said, pulling her into an embrace. "I have sworn my loyalty and fealty to him, and him alone. I'm a legal citizen of Spargus and vassal to the King of Spargus... unlike here..."

"But... Ashelin has let you back into the City!" Keira said.

Jak didn't even want to hear talk of Ashelin right now, not when he was pretty sure that she had a crush on him. "This is only temporary." Jak said slowly. "As soon as everything is back under control, the City will scream for my re-banishment. After all, as far as they're concerned, I'm nothing more than a murderer, a Dark Eco Freak that would kill you as soon as look at you. An elf that let in the Metal-Heads and could possibly be the Metal-Head Leader."

"Maybe... you should secretly make sure things don't get under control." Keira said softly.

Jak stared at his lover. "Are you saying I should sabotage our War efforts?" Jak demanded. "I think I'm a bad influence on you." He shook his head. "It's no good. If I even get connected to a crime now, I'll be thrown back out to Spargus... and I'll never be able to see you again if we don't make the right arrangements."

"What should we do?" Keira asked, pressing herself up against her lover.

"There is a way." Jak said. "Keira, when the time comes, go with me to Spargus."

"What?" Keira asked.

"There is the problem of the trials, but I'm sure I could work something out with my King. I know it seems terrible to move away from Haven... you've got a life here, your father is here. But I can't have a life here anymore. It's the only way for us to be together."

Keira was speechless. "I... I don't know, Jak."

"Then don't answer yet." Jak said, taking her face in his hands. "And I won't tell you 'if you love me...' If you decide to stay in Haven City I'll... respect your wishes." He pressed a short kiss to her lips.

After he pulled away, he got up and walked away, leaving Keira's mind in turmoil. He was right, she knew it. He was trapped. He'd have to help Haven win the war, and when he did, they'd send him straight back out into the desert. Like Jak said, she had a life here in Haven, but he didn't. His life in Haven City was over.

"Precursors..." Keira wondered out loud. "What should I do?"

* * *

As soon as Jak entered the Haven Control room, he was confronted by Daxter. "Hey, lover-boy, about time! You missed a call from Samos. He asked you to go to Onin's tent."

Jak stared at Daxter. "Onin's tent? But wasn't the Bazaar destroyed by the Palace's collapse?"

Daxter rolled his eyes. "Onin's a freaking physic! She had her tent moved _weeks_ before the Palace collapsed. It's by the old fortress now." He suddenly saw the scarf that was tied around Jak's right arm. "Hey, what's that?"

Jak looked down at it and smiled. "A gift from a very, very good friend."

* * *

A short time later, Jak and Daxter pulled up to Onin's hut and was greeted by Samos, Onin and Pecker. "Jak, we are in serious trouble." Samos said, not really looking at Jak.

Onin began to sign. "Onin says that she has looked into your future and finds it clouded black with uncertainty. Fate has been twisted by beings more powerful than she has ever seen in her many years!" Pecker translated. "Someone... or something has awakened deep in the Catacombs. One thing is sure of your future, and that is that Jak should go down into those Catacombs to find out what is down there."

"How much you wanna bet this is going to end with us running and screaming?" Daxter asked as he elbowed Jak's head.

Onin and Pecker ignored him. Onin continued to sign. "Onin says that you must make it through the Palace ruins. Onin says that you much reach the bottom of the Catacombs. Onin says Pecker will accompany you down there... ARK! What did you say, old woman?" Pecker waved a hand before Onin's blind, staring eyes.

"You will be Onin's eyes, and Jak's wisdom." Samos said. "You must do this!"

Pecker growled. "AUGH! Fine! I'll go! But I am _gone_ the moment that things get sticky!"

Onin began to sign again, and Daxter noticed it. "What's she saying now?"

Pecker looked back at Onin and watched her for a few seconds. "It is a message to Jak. She says that it is time to repay your debt..."

"My debt?" Jak asked, confused.

Pecker ignored him. "And she also says to steel your will, because once you go to the Catacombs, you will find an answer you've searched for your entire life... and the answer may not be what you expect..."

"An answer? To what question?" Jak asked.

Onin shook her head. The meaning couldn't be more clear. 'I have no more to say to you.'

After several seconds, Pecker got everyone's attention again. "Well, I'm going to fly ahead. I'll meet you when the coast is clear." Pecker flew out.

"Good luck, my boy." Samos said, and then he added. "For everyone's sake."

Jak looked at him for a few seconds in mutual understanding. He nodded. "I won't fail you, Samos, or her." And then he walked out of the tent.

* * *

The way to the Palace ruins was only by finding your way through the ruins of the once grand Mar's Stadium and what remained of Main Town. However, almost as soon as Jak got past the barrier that separated him from the Stadium, he ran into a slight Metal-Head problem. Of course, in this case, 'slight' meant huge Crab-Heads and Metal-Mantises, which are the bigger, more dangerous types than your average garden-variety Metal-Head. There were also a lot of them...

"The only hombres tough and crazy enough to take on these things are the Wastelanders!" Daxter spoke up.

Jak blinked. "Dax! You're a genius!" Jak pulled out the beacon and pushed the large button in the center. Nothing happened. He pressed it again, but nothing happened.

"That thing's worth about as much as something you'd get from a broke down pawn shop in South Town!" Daxter said.

Jak shrugged, and put the beacon away, and went to take care of the Metal-Heads himself.

An hour later, Jak ended up just on the edge of the Palace ruins. He found Pecker sitting on the ruins of a once large building. "There you are! I've molted three times already just waiting for you two! Onin says we must get through the Palace ruins, but I think... oh oh!" Pecker suddenly took off.

Jak spun around and gasped in horror. Three huge Dark Maker satellites floated in the air behind him. One Dark Maker had almost killed him, three was a hopeless cause.

"Jak..." Daxter said as the Dark Makers rattled threateningly. Jak backed against the rocks. "Before it's all over... I just wanted you to know... riding on your shoulder... although it is kinda bony... and uncomfortable... well..." Daxter sniffed. "You've been a good pal."

"You too, Dax." Jak said. "These adventures... they've been great." He then prepared to meet his destiny as the first Dark Maker roared.

However, the wall behind him exploded and something soared over his head and rammed into the Dark Makers, destroying them instantly. The thing came to a stop and Jak saw that it was none other than King Damas riding in a heavily armored Spargain vehicle. "Did somebody call for an army?" He asked.

"Well, you're a long way from the desert." Jak looked at the remains of the Dark Makers. The young elf laughed. "I thought you said a smart Warrior never takes his opponent head-on?"

Damas smiled. "You actually remembered his old man's banter... like a true vassal, I suppose. About that... that actually depends on how hard your skull is. I'd say you and I are both rather head-strong." Jak jumped into the vehicle and made a move to switch weapon controls to his side. "What are you doing?" Damas asked.

"I... I take the guns, right?" Jak asked uncertainly.

"Why don't you show me how well you drive." Damas said. "I expect a lot from a man who won the racing Championship of Haven City."

"Really?" Jak asked.

"Sure, why not?"

"Cause Jak's an insane driver and he's likely to be the death of us." Daxter said as Jak took control of the vehicle while Damas resigned himself to the guns.

"Let's do this!"


	40. Damas' Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains a major character death.

The huge vehicle, which is called the Slam Dozer, handled like a lead balloon and didn't go very fast, but it was great for smashing through walls and the remains of buildings, as Damas had shown.

The area around the Palace was infested with Dark Makers, but any Dark Precursors that Jak didn't run over was gunned down by Damas with the vehicle's powerful weapons.

However, the biggest problem came from the short-range missiles that the Dark Makers sent their way. If you stayed in one spot for too long, the missiles would get a bead on you. However, as long as the vehicle remained in motion, there was little to worry about.

Finally, they reached the large hole that used to be under the Palace, the one that lead down into the Catacombs. Jak stopped the vehicle. Damas smiled at Jak approvingly. "Wow! We're actually alive!" Daxter celebrated... much too soon.

Jak heard a strange noise, along with with Damas, and they both gasped, turning around. A large missile was heading their way. There was no way they could move the vehicle in time. Jak might have been able to get himself out in time, but he couldn't leave Damas!

So Jak was still in the vehicle when the missile hit, flipping the vehicle over in a blaze of fire. Something hit Jak's head and he knew no more.

* * *

Jak woke up a short time later with a moan of pain. He was badly hurt, he could feel it. He opened his eyes and sat up painfully to see the full extent of the damage. He was burned terribly and his leg, and at least three or four ribs were broken.

Jak shut his eyes tightly against the pain that threatened to bring tears to his eyes and concentrated on healing. The burns faded away and that was followed by several nasty snapping sounds as bones fell back into place.

Finally, when everything seemed to be in order, he sat up straighter, for his head still hurt. The wreckage of the Slam Dozer sat several feet away and Jak realized he must've been thrown from the vehicle when it had overturned.

Daxter sat several feet away with only minor wounds and no burns, which suggested that he had gotten out of the vehicle on time. Jak would've been angry with him, but Daxter didn't have healing powers and would have likely died in the explosion.

 _Wait_... suddenly Jak remembered there had been another passenger besides Daxter. "Damas!" Jak got up slowly and began to limp (his leg still hurt) around the Dozer.

He found Damas on the other side of the Dozer. He was not badly burned, at least not so badly that it was mortal. But that wasn't what Jak saw. Damas' legs were crushed under the vehicle's roll cage. There was a lot of blood staining the ground, and Damas was pale with blood loss.

"Damas!" Jak hurried over to his King's side.

"Not... bad driving, kid." Damas said weakly while Jak knelled down next to him and supported the injured Warrior-King's head. Daxter came around, but kept his distance from his best friend and his sworn lord. "It was a good fight..." Damas coughed. "And a good day to die. I'm... very proud to have been by your side... in the end." Jak shook his head in denial. "Don't fear... this world is not yet out of heroes..."

"We did well together." Jak said. "Don't move!" Jak reached for the holographic emitter that he carried. "I'll call for help..."

Damas stopped Jak's hand. "There's no time. Just... just promise me one thing... so I can die in peace."

"I'll do anything within my power." Jak said. "I am yours to command."

"Good." Damas coughed again. His time was running out, and he knew it. "Promise me that you'll find my son. And, when you do, you'll give him his name..."

"His name?" Jak asked.

"Yes. I've thought long and hard on it. It would be an honor for my son... to carry... your name." Damas said. Jak blinked in surprise. "Jak... a good name, a name carried by great heroes and great legends..."

Jak was left speechless for a few seconds. "I... I would be honored that your son is named after me." Jak whispered. "But... how will I know him when I see him?"

Damas reached up to his throat and pulled something from around his neck, something that was concealed by his clothes. "You'll know him when you see this." He put the object in Jak's hands. It was the Seal of Mar. Jak blinked and couldn't stop staring at the small, familiar medallion in his hand. "He's... wearing an amulet just like it... a symbol of our lineage with the Great... House of Mar..." The Seal was exactly the same as the one Jak carried, the one worn by his younger self. But, before Jak could fully piece this information together, Damas coughed, and began to speak his final words. "Save the people, Jak... they need you..."

Damas' eyes closed and his head fell limply onto Jak's lap. He was dead.

Daxter watched this scene unfold with his mouth covered in horror. "My God..." He whispered, but said no more. For the first time in his life, he was speechless.

Jak merely stared at Damas' dead body for several seconds. Tears began to well up in his eyes as the truth dawned upon him. He kept the word inside for several more seconds until he couldn't hold it in any longer. Then he spoke, one, single, emotion-filled word.

"Father..."

The old walls broke down. Jak had hardly let himself give such a display of vulnerability as crying in the last three years. To cry was to show weakness in Jak's mind. But during the times of extreme emotional upheaval, he had to let loose. His emotions were everywhere at once, and nowhere at all. So, he could only weep for his loss. The loss of a King, the loss of a friend, the loss of a fellow Warrior, and the loss of his biological father, whom he had searched for his entire life.

Daxter slowly approached the weeping elf and laid a comforting paw on his arm. Jak didn't even notice him.

Suddenly, a highly unwelcome voice disturbed Jak's misery. "So... you've finally figured it out, have you?" Jak glared in the direction of the voice. It was Vegar, the very last person he wanted to see now, not when he was at his lowest. "Took you long enough. I certainly thought it was obvious, even before I found out about your time-traveling. The great 'Jak' of the legends is you, isn't it?"

"Go away." Jak hissed, a mixture of anger and sorrow in his voice.

Veger ignored Jak. "Yes, you were that child; Prince Mar, heir to the Thrones of, not only Haven City, but Spargus as well. Even as a child, you had the signs that pointed you out as the greatest Channeler since the Great Mar himself." Veger spat on the ground. "Channelers! Channelers always got the glory and the honor, and leaving none of... normal people."

"You're not a Channeler?" Daxter asked.

"What does it matter? You were a Channeler, so after Damas disappeared to the Metal-Head Nest and Praxis took over the throne, I kidnapped you from your mother to discover the true missing link between Channelers and normal people." Jak began to growl dangerously. Any sane man would be running for the hills, but Veger was having too much fun taunting Jak to run. "All I learned before I lost you to the Underground was that Channeling abilities are the result of a genetic mutation that is passed on through hereditary means." Veger paused at the look on Jak's face, a look of sorrow slowly being replaced by a look of endless rage. "Oh, did I tell you too late? You were the son of the great Warrior-King, Damas. Oh, and he never knew! How delightful!"

Veger had crossed the holy line. Jak stood up in a flash, the very definition of boundless rage on his face. "AUGH! VEGER, YOU BASTARD!" Jak roared, his pure rage being on his Dark transformation, but only for a second. But even Veger took a step back from the black-eyed, clawed demon with pure rage and vengeance in its eyes. Vegar's back was against the Precursor vehicles made to travel in the Catacombs.

"Thank you for opening the door to the Precursors." Veger gestured towards the hole. "Don't worry, I'll be back to put you out of your misery." Veger jumped into the first vehicle and took off down into the Catacombs.

"VEGER!" Jak roared again.

Suddenly, Daxter jumped onto Jak's shoulder, jarring him out of his rage. "After him, Jak!"

Jak stared at his friend. "You're willing to go down there? Without a fuss this time?"

"Yeah, well, don't get used to it." Daxter said. "It's just that nobody, and I repeat, _nobody_ hurts my best friend and lives to brag about it! I hereby declare _war_ on Veger!"

"Yes... I'll kill him for what he's done to me..." Jak began to take off after him when he stopped. He turned around towards the body of his father. It didn't feel right to just leave his body in the Haven ruins to rot, nor did he have the time to take his body back to Spargus. Finally, he got out his War beacon, activated it again, and set it next to his father's body. "Somebody from Spargus will come." Jak said. "Now, I have to go and avenge everything that's ever been done to me!"

"Everything?"

"Don't you realize that if Veger had left well enough alone, none of this would have happened to me!" Jak growled.

"You met me... you met Samos... you met Keira..."

But Jak wasn't in the mood to think positive now. "Enough of that! Let's go!" The angry elf leapt into the second Precursor vehicle and took off after Veger at the insane speeds of the Catacombs.

It was clear to Jak instantly that Vegar wasn't used to handling things that went above the speed of sound. Most of the obstacles had been cleared, so Jak had a pretty straight-forward path, straight down, deeper and deeper, heading for the very core of the planet.

Finally, they came into a huge chamber. It was so huge, you could fit the entire City of Haven in it. In the middle was a huge platform that had a rift ring on it, except the rift ring was bigger than any Jak had seen before. It was easily large enough to fly a ship through. It was guarded by two Precursor Robots, mostly standing still, but occasionally moving to show they were, in fact, working.

Jak landed the ship quite a ways from them, seeing as all his experiences with Precursor Robots had been bad ones.

"Do not fear us." The Robots said in union. "We would not harm our own Champion. Those Robots that you fought were twisted by others, and have no reflection upon the rest of us. We have been waiting for you a long time... Prince Jak Mar." They paused. Jak let the title slide with them, because he still didn't fully trust them. "We are the Twin Guardians of the Grand Warp Gate and you have the power to activate it and save your world, along with many others."

"What will happen when I activate it?" Jak asked.

"You will receive the full might and aid of the Precursor army, and army ready to help you." The twin Robots said. "Without shields, the Veelen is vulnerable to our weapons. If we attack them swiftly, the Dark Maker Leaders need not ever know that we broke our own rules. For, sometimes, the rules must be broken for the greater good."

"What if there's a repeat of the Aeon tragedy?" Jak asked.

"Aeon?" Daxter asked, but everyone ignored him.

"There will not. We do not need to set our weapons at full power to destroy a shield-less ship." The twin Robots said. "Do you have a Dark Eco Crystal, and a Light Eco Crystal?" Jak pulled out one of each and the Robots nodded. "It is enough. Place them in the slots."

"Okay..." Jak said, walking over to slots and placing each crystal into its respective slot.

"The rest of the Crystals are for your own use... no doubt you'll need them."

Suddenly, the Rift Ring activated and the air in the room became so thick that it was almost suffocatingly thick. A single Precursor walked through the ring... a Precursor of such enormous power that it's aura alone caused the thickening of the air. "Greetings, Chosen One." The Precursor said with a slow, regal voice that suggested that it was eons old. "My name is Icarath. I am one of the Precursor Elders."

"Icarath... it is an honor to finally meet one of the Precursor Elders." Jak bowed politely.

"And it is an honor to see what you have become." Icarath paused. "You have the look of your ancestor, Mar... but you have your mother's eyes." Jak opened his mouth to ask, but Icarath held up a hand. "Young Tiatin has been working with you, has he not?" Jak nodded. "He has done well with you... for being as young as he is. Youth, however, is not always a good thing. Youth tends to make many mistakes that age knows how to avoid. Even now... his inexperience has caused him to make a dreadful mistake on his part, not on yours."

Jak wasn't sure how much more bad news he could take. "What mistake?"

"The Dark Maker Champion, mortally wounded, would have been dead as of now. This would have been a victory for the Precursor Brotherhood since the ailment that destroyed him was caused at your hand. But Tiatin found his way onto the Dark Ship and has healed Erol of his Light Eco Poisoning."

"Tiatin did _what_?" Jak demanded. "Is that why he's called 'Dark Fate'?"

"It is... regrettable, but Tiatin does not know any better." Icarath said. "He does not possess the wisdom of an Elder, nor has he been in contact with one. Do not judge him too harshly, Balanced One. However, even as I speak here with you, the Dark Makers are surely reconditioning your enemy, making him stronger, and more powerful. And, I have come to understand that he his now in control of a large portion of the Dark Maker army... an army more terribly than anything in the whole universe." Icarath paused. "Now he is more Dark Maker than Elvin."

Jak couldn't believe his ears. Things had turned out of favor for him with a single mistake... a mistake that he had nothing to do with, if that wasn't bad enough! Within a few seconds, his chance of victory had dropped dramatically. "What do I do?" He asked. "I can hardly handle one Dark Maker, let alone a whole army!"

Icarath thought for a second. "There is one way to get you out of this war... or give you the power you need to destroy Erol... which ever you wish." Icarath said gravely.

"There's a way? How?" Jak asked.

"I once came to you in the void between physical worlds, a world that no mortal can enter until their death." Icarath said. "Or, at least, no regular mortal. There are two reasons why you were able to cross the threshold to the spiritual world without harming yourself. One reason was that you had been there before. And the second and most important reason is because you have the potential. You have the potential to become like us... a Precursor."

Both Jak and Daxter's jaws dropped. "Wait a second! Are you saying that Jak here can become a glow-boy Precursor?" Daxter asked. "How's that possible?"

"He has the qualities necessary." Icarath said. "First and foremost, you have already been deeply connected to my race." Without warning, Icarath touched Jak's skin, causing the elf to shiver involuntarily. "You remember my touch?" The Precursor Elder asked.

Jak couldn't quite explain it... but Icarath's touch did feel familiar, almost like from a forgotten dream.

"And the second quality necessary... the missing link between Precursors and Elves are Channelers. With the right application of Eco, a Channeler can become a Precursor. You are one of the best Channelers I have ever seen. This honor has been offered to only three other elves, and only one accepted it." Icarath paused. "I, Icarath, Precursor Elder, now offer you, Prince Jak Mar, the gift of Evolution... the honor of becoming one of us."

Jak mind was in turmoil. Not only could he stop thinking about the way he felt when the Precursor Elder touched him, but now he had this on his plate? He was being offered a rare and valuable gift. "If I agree... will there be no chance to reverse the change?"

"No. The transformation is permanent and irrevocable." Icarath said. "Consider carefully, for forever is a long time to regret a hasty decision."

Jak considered the gift that was laid before him. Icarath was right... forever was a long time to regret a hasty decision. The question was... did he really _want_ to be a Precursor?

Suddenly, Icarath interrupted Jak's thoughts. "Look out!"

Jak heard a gun shot and spun around in a flash, whipping his hand through the air. Veger held the smoking gun and was surprised to find that Jak was still alive, considering that he had been aiming at the Eco Freak's head.

Jak simply smiled and held up his hand. There was a small piece of metal between his fingers. It was the bullet that almost had his name on it. Jak had caught the bullet right out of the air! Needless to say, Veger was shocked, and he stared. "Great reflexes, huh Veger? Much faster than your reflexes are, I'm sure." Jak teased, tossing the bullet aside.

Vegar growled. "Step aside, Freak! I'm the one who should evolve into a Precursor! The right is mine!" Veger pointed the gun at Jak again.

"But... you're not even a Channeler!" Jak said. "You said so yourself..."

"You high and mighty Channelers! All a Channeler is is a powerful mutant! You don't need a mastery of the Ecos to become a Precursor, only belief... which you... lack!" Veger looked at Icarath. "So, change me into a Precursor!"

"No!" Jak yelled at Icarath. "He doesn't deserve to die of Eco Poisoning! That's too kind a fate for him! Don't do it, Icarath, you don't know what you are doing!"

"I do know what I am doing... Great One... even more than you do." Icarath said, then he faced Veger. "Be careful what you wish for, Count, for you may get more than you bargained." Icarath pointed at Veger and a mass of Eco shot straight into his body, lifting him off his feet with its sheer power.

"No!" Jak yelled, afraid that he had lost his chance to kill Veger. Now Veger would die of Eco Poisoning.

Finally, Veger was set down, but he was not dead... nor was he a Precursor. In fact... he looked completely normal. Veger felt his chest. "I'm not a Precursor? Why am I not a Precursor?"

"You failed to listen to Prince Jak Mar, for he spoke the truth." Veger frowned even more at the mention of Jak's royal title. He couldn't stand that a Dark Eco Freak like that had the surest claim to the Throne of Haven City. "You are no Channeler, but you are not a non-Channeler either. You are something different... something in between. So, the Eco will not kill you. You are to experience a mutation of a different sort... a devolution."

"Something in between..." Jak mused. "One of your parents was a Channeler, am I right, Veger?" Jak asked suddenly.

"Leave my mother out of this, you freak!" Veger hissed.

"So... your mother was a Channeler... but your father was not..." Jak suddenly burst out laughing as he figured it out. He was a Half-Channeler... someone who had no Channeling abilities, but couldn't be hurt by Eco. It was the rarest type of Channeler. Most Channelers were born from unions where one parent was a Channeler, and the other was not. There were simply too few for Channelers to just marry other Channelers. One Channeler unions usually resulted in children with either full Channeling abilities, or no Channeling abilities. But, on rare occasions, Half-Channelers are born. And Jak knew only one other person who was considered 'Half-Channeler.' "Oh my God! This is great!"

"What's great?" Daxter asked.

"Half-Channelers experience a different sort of mutation when they come in contact with Eco." Jak said. "Veger, let me put it this way... Daxter, here, was once an elf. His father was a Channeler, while his mother was not..." Daxter began to get what Jak was saying. "And Daxter became one of the few Half-Channelers... like I suspect you are. Then he came in contact with a large amount of Eco."

Daxter got what Jak was saying. "You don't mean...?"

"Yes." Jak said, smiling broadly. "Veger, you are not going to become a Precursor... you are going to become an Ottsel."

"You're lying!" Veger hissed.

"No, Prince Jak Mar is actually quite astute." Icarath spoke. "All our early tests resulted in this. People with no Channeling ability died from Eco Poisoning, Channelers became Precursors, and the extremely rare 'Half-Channelers' became creatures similar to the small, furry animals that you elves were when we first came to this planet thousands of eons ago."

Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light and everyone looked Veger's way, only to find an ugly and twisted Ottsel in his place. Daxter laughed. "Hey, Vulgar, the rat look suits you!"

"Veger..." Jak knelt down to Veger's level, and the rodent cowered from the larger elf. Jak looked an awful lot bigger and more powerful when you were a rat. "I came down here intent on killing in the most horrible way that I could imagine. I thought that a horrible death would be the worst punishment possible. But, when I see you like this... a mangy rat... I know that there are some punishments that are so much worse than death... like living the rest of your life as a rat. No offense." Jak said, looking at Daxter.

"None taken." Daxter said automatically.

"So... you have finally learned that killing is not always the way." Icarath said. "Our gift still stands to you. Do you accept?"

Jak thought, but only for a second. "You're right... forever is a long time to regret a hasty decision. Besides, would I want to live forever while everyone around me dies? I think I'll pass on that gift and continue my life as an elf. Besides..." Jak grinned wickedly. "I've got a war to win."

Icarath nodded quietly. "If you are intent on winning, you will need our help. The war is dissolving... we can feel it. Old rules are breaking down and our fleet was attacked by a Dark Maker War ship on the way to your planet. If they break the rules, we should too... to win." Icarath paused. "Within a few minutes, the Precursor fleet will converge on the _Veelen_ and destroy it. With their shields down, our weapons will tear through that ship. I will send you to the Dark Maker ship now. You will have to kill Erol or, failing that, lead him down to the planet's surface as alone as you can. It will then be your job and your job alone to defeat Erol and win the War."

"So... I have come to the end of all things..." Jak paused. "And I am afraid."

"Fear is a natural emotion that one should not be ashamed of." Icarath said. "Remember always, Jak Mar, that true courage is not the absence of fear, but facing the things you fear and overcoming them." With those final words of wisdom, Icarath waved his hand and teleported the elf and his Ottsel friend away to meet their destiny.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you guys are interested, there are two stories on FFnet that are an alternate ending to this story that does not include this major character death. I mean... finish reading this one first. Those two stories ARE written with my full permission. The author asked me for permission properly to write the two stories, so you don't have to accuse them of stealing from me. The author is Honest Beauty and the two stories are "Bringing Him Back" and "Stopping Time"


	41. The Final Battle Part 1

Jak suddenly appeared in the huge cargo hold of the Dark Ship Veelen. And, it definitely was huge for it was twice the size of the chamber they had just left. _Remember..._ Icarath's voice said. _The Precursor fleet will attack that ship in a few minutes. Be clear of the ship by then._

Once Icarath's suffocating presence was gone, Jak looked around the cargo hold and gasped. This hold held the biggest Dark Makers he had seen yet. If the true Dark Maker leader was more monstrous than these monsters, then he must truly be the most terrifying being in the universe.

Daxter voice Jak's thoughts. "If these nasty things ever get set loose on the planet, it's finished!"

"Let's hope I don't have to match up against one." Jak said, watching the monsters stomp around on six large legs, each one over a hundred feet tall with a huge main body. It's cockpit-like head sat on the end of a long, thin neck, and there were simply hundreds of them!

Jak looked down towards the end of the large platform that he stood on to see Erol looking down at the army below. He definitely looked stronger than last Jak saw him with Light Eco Poisoning. He had been cured, and looked more powerful than ever. Jak ran up to him.

"All of these Dark Makers at my command!" Erol said as Jak ran up and came to a stop just behind him. "Just think what I can do!" He heard Jak and turned around. "You!" He hissed.

"Me." Jak said simply, pacing in front of Erol like an animal itching to attack. "A pity the Light Eco didn't kill you. I guess we are more alike than we would want to admit. Both of us used to a certain extent by powers more powerful than us, both nearly died of Eco Poisoning, both... Eco Freaks." Jak said as Daxter jumped off his shoulder.

"I am nothing like you!" Erol roared. "You are starting to sound like a Precursor! You share their condescending attitude! The high and mighty Precursors, the self-proclaimed rulers of the universe! Well, guess what, Freak, the time of the Precursors is ending, and the time of the Dark Maker is beginning! You..." Erol paused. "You are on the wrong side of this War."

"Funny." Jak said, continuing to pace. "I was about to tell you the same thing." Suddenly, there was an explosion and the entire ship shook with the force of the shock wave. Jak regained his balance and knew instantly that this was the Precursor attack. "The Precursors are here. Without shields, the Precursor's weapons will tear through this ship like wet paper." Another explosion, and Jak stopped pacing finally. "You're through, Erol!" Jak roared. "Even if we both die!" Jak launched himself bodily at Erol with a battle-cry. He tackled Erol and they both went toppling over the edge of the platform, to fall to the ground miles below.

However, Erol grabbed onto the edge of the platform with his mechanical hand and stopped his fall. Jak wasn't so lucky and continued to fall to the ground far below.

Daxter leaned over the edge, but Jak had fallen from view. "JAK!" He yelled.

"Good-bye, rat!" Erol hissed, and then the rodent received a surprise. Huge things expanded from Erol's shoulders and unfolded into huge bat-like wings. He took to the air and dove down to one of the lumbering Dark Makers. He jumped into the cockpit head. A cargo door opened and Erol, in the Dark Maker's body, jumped through and began to descend to the planet surface far below.

The air was being sucked out through the hole and Daxter struggled to keep from falling into space. Then, he lost this footing and fell back... right into someone's arms. It was Light Jak, his huge wings folded close to his body to avoid catching the wind. He had obviously flown back up to the platform. "Let's go, Dax! It's time to get out of here!" Light Jak said.

"The Warp Gate!" Daxter yelled over the wind, and pointed to a Warp Gate that was at the other end of the platform.

So Light Jak began to make his way towards the Gate. Not surprisingly, his wings caused the biggest trouble. Every once in a while, they would catch the wind and set him back several feet; but as long as he kept them tight to his body, they didn't cause him much trouble. Finally, they made it to the Warp Gate and crawled through.

* * *

After a short, tingly trip, Light Jak found that he was back in the lovely heat of the desert, just in front of the Spargus Gates. Daxter appeared a second later on the ground beside him.

"We're alive! We did it!" Daxter celebrated and jumped into the air.

Light Jak watched as a large meteor-like object streaked towards them. It could only be one thing... "Not yet." Light Jak said simply as the monster crashed into the sands, creating a large crater. The Dark Maker Beast unfurled itself and climbed out of the hole it had made.

Erol sat in the 'head' of the monster, hundreds of feet up in the air. "You will all die at my hands!" The Dark Maker Champion yelled, stomping his mighty way over towards Jak and Spargus.

Light Jak stood up in a flash, wings spread wide and two Light Swords in his hands. "It's headed for the City! We've got to defend it..." Light Jak paused. "For Damas... for my father..."

"The last charge of the Dark and Light Brigade!" Daxter jumped onto Light Jak's shoulder. "Let's do it, partner!"

"To the end..." Light Jak looked down at the weapons he held. "Which will die? The angel? Or the demon?" He paused, then recited the final line of the Angel poem. "Only the Angel can tell."

With that, Light Jak took to the air and flew straight at Erol. "Your Light tricks won't work on me now, Freak!" Erol roared. "The Darkness protects me now!"

Light Jak flew straight at Erol's head, but the great Dark Maker swung its head to intercept him, so Light Jak was forced to take drastic measures to dodge. He folded the feathery wings against him body and fell twenty feet and out of harm's way.

"Come out of that machine and face me, Erol!" Light Jak roared.

"I don't think so!" Erol yelled back. "You see, I hold the advantage here, and I'm not too keen to give it up!"

"Fine. Then I'm going to have to make you come out of there." Light said said. He folded his wings and dived under the Dark Maker's body and slammed both swords into its underbelly.

The Dark Maker roared and Light Jak removed the weapons and a torrent of Dark Eco burst forth. Then, as to prove the Dark Maker was part machine, part creature, a gun popped out of the creature's underbelly and began to fire large bullets of Dark Eco at the Eco Angel. He may have been immune to the effects of Dark Eco, but bullets that size would leave him nothing but a bloody hole. The angel took evasive action; with a flap of his massive wings, Light Jak flew behind the gun and cut it off at its base.

Erol roared with laughter. "Such weak attacks! You'll never destroy my powerful Beast like that! It runs on Dark Eco, and has an immunity to Light Eco! If that's the best you can do, I suggest you give up now!"

Suddenly, a mass of tentacles popped out of nowhere. They wrapped themselves around Light Jak, taking care to pin his wings to his body and began to smash the elf repeatedly against the rock-hard underside of the Dark Maker.

"Had enough?" Erol mocked. Jak merely growled. Each time he was smashed against the Dark Maker, it hurt like hell and several bones broke. The Light Eco would heal the wounds, only to have the bones broken again by the next hit. "Fine!" The tentacles tossed Light Jak down towards the desert sands. The angel, whose one wing had broken during the last hit, was not able to regain his flight and hit the ground hard, forcing the air out of his lungs. Jak sat up swiftly, his one broken wing hanging uselessly against the ground. His wings may not have been a normal part of his body, but they could be injured, and it hurt like hell. He had only begun to heal the wing when the next threat became known.

"Jak!" Daxter yelled in warning, pointing up. One of the large feet had lifted up to step on him with the hope of turning him into a two-dimensional object. He barely had the time to move away, causing more pain to shoot through his healing wing, before he was crushed.

But the pain didn't last long. His wing healed and he took to the air again to avoid the stomping feet. He flew up again and landed on the top of the Dark Maker's body. The head twisted around to glare at Light Jak. "Don't you ever give up?" Erol demanded.

"No. I can be quite persistent when my life is on the line. Just ask the Metal-Head Leader when you met him in Hell." Jak said, conjuring two new swords since he had lost the last two.

"Now, be realistic! There's no way you can beat me! I'm all powerful!" Suddenly, a laser shot from the Dark Maker's 'nose' and flew at Light Jak. Within seconds, the angel brought up his shield and the laser hit the shield, but didn't cause any damage. The laser stopped when Erol realized that he wasn't going to get through Light Jak's shield with a laser. Instead, he took a more direct approach, namely slamming the nose of the Dark Maker onto Light Jak.

Light Jak winched heavily and almost let the shield drop as the blow hit; the force of the blow caused a large dent to appear in the top of the Dark Maker.

Then Light Jak noticed the Dark Eco tanks behind the Dark Maker's head. The thing ran on Dark Eco! So if he destroyed the power source, he would destroy the beast!

Erol slammed the Dark Maker's nose on Light Jak again, but the shield held again. But, as soon as Erol moved away, Light Jak dropped the shield and took to the air, a Light sword flashing in his grip... the sword sang.

Erol was obviously surprised by this frontal assault. "What the...?"

Light Jak flew behind the Dark Maker's head and struck at the tanks, cutting them in half. Dark Eco cascaded towards the ground and the Dark Maker began to topple.

Light Jak folded his wings against his body and fell to the ground, the angel spread his wings to stop his fall a foot from the ground. The Dark Maker hit the ground and exploded. Light Jak saw the explosion rushing towards him and raised his shield a split second before the fire engulfed him. The explosions lasted for some time. But they finally stopped and Light Jak could once again see the remains of the Dark Maker Beast. Jak let his Light Side fall away and he moved towards the wreckage of the fallen beast to face his enemy... and his final destiny.


	42. The Final Battle Part 2

Jak walked up to the smoldering ruins of the Dark Maker Beast. A figure arose from the head, which had been made to withstand such an explosion. "You could have just gotten out of the Beast." Jak said, walking up rather calmly. "It would have been easier."

"You... you FREAK!" Erol roared. "You'll pay for that, I swear it!"

"Someday, I probably will." Jak said.

Erol grinned. "I'll kill you." He said. "And after I kill you... I'll enjoy hunting down and killing all your friends. I'll start with the rat... I'll have plenty of fun with him before I kill him. I'll make that little freak beg for death before I deliver what he wants! Then, after the rat is gone... I'll move on to your beloved Keira. Rape will be nothing compared to the torture I will inflict upon her. I could have loved her, and spared her... but she has chosen you in the end after all..."

During this whole speech, Jak shook with rage and his hands clenched into fists. "You'll never touch Daxter or Keira... not while I still have a single breath left in me!"

"So protective." Erol laughed. "We always were enemies, you and I. Ever since that day, in South Town, long ago, I knew that I would be the one to kill you." Erol paused thoughtfully. "Deep down, I knew that you would survive the Dark Warrior Project, because I was the one destined to kill you, not a case of Dark Eco Poisoning. Can you not feel it too, Number Eleven?"

Jak felt his rage boil over. "I HAVE A NAME!" He roared. "I am Prince Jak Mar, son of the Warrior-King, Damas Mar! I am the Darkness! I am the Light! I am Balance! I am the Destroyer of Dark Sages and Metal-Head Leaders! I am a hero! I am the Precursor's Chosen One and Champion! I AM YOUR DOOM!"

"Impressive titles, Oh Balanced One." Erol said mockingly, summoning two Dark weapons to his hands. "But... do you fight as well as you boast?"

"Let us end this, then." Jak growled, summoning two Light swords. "Only one shall walk away from this. Dax, get off." He added suddenly.

"But..." Daxter began to protest."

"I'll need every ounce of speed and agility I have." Jak said, still keeping his eyes on Erol should the Dark Champion try to attack him. "You'll only be a dangerous distraction and a complication. I'm sorry, Dax, but this is my fight, and my fight alone. I don't want you to get hurt." Daxter slid off Jak's shoulder. "Here, call everyone... for better or worse." Jak tossed Daxter the holographic emitter. Daxter nodded wordlessly and took the device. He ran to a safe distance. Jak touched the scarf on his arm. "Keira... give me strength..." He whispered. He looked back up at Erol.

"Too bad Keira can't be here to cry over your dead body." Erol said.

"Enough talk." Jak hissed, twirling the two blades in his hands. "Let's fight."

"Eager to die, are we?" Erol asked. "Fine, so be it. Show me what Mar's last living descendant can do!"

With that, the two parties leapt at each other and swords clashed. The final confrontation had begun...

* * *

From a distance, Daxter used the hologram to contact Freedom HQ and Samos answered. "Daxter? Where are you two? You're supposed to be in the Catacombs!"

"We went there already!" Daxter said hurriedly. "You've got to get everyone out here to Spargus! Jak is fighting Erol!"

"Is it... the Final Battle?" Samos asked.

"Yes, it is!" Daxter yelled.

Samos nodded. "I'll get everyone out there as soon as possible. But... I hope it's not for a funeral..."

* * *

Back at the fighting duo, things were pretty evenly matched. Though their blades would just be a blur to those watching, they were able to keep up with each other reasonably well. It was clear that Jak was by far the better swordsman, but he was also tired out by his fight against the Beast. Erol, while he wasn't that good, was still in his prime. It was also clear that Erol had some training with the sword. But what Jak lacked in technique, he made up for with speed and power. But what Erol lacked in speed, he made up for with technique and a power equal to Jak's currently diminished power.

Neither seemed able to land a single blow on the other. Back and forth, they moved through the desert sands... the sun at high noon, just like those old-time duels. So, neither could tell just how much time had passed. The only thing going through the fighter's minds were: Block! Counterattack! Block! Opening! Strike!

Soon, it became clear to both fighter that they would not be able to win on the sword alone, so Erol began to play dirty. He leapt backwards and, scooped up some sand, threw it at Jak's eyes with the thought of blinding the elf. Jak stopped the sand from getting in his eyes by blocking the particles with his arm. However, in that small moment, Erol leapt forward and sliced at his arm. The armor stopped his arm from being cut off, but it could not stop Jak from receiving a small cut. A single drop of blood fell for the wound and hit the desert sand before the wound healed.

Erol moved back further, panting with fatigue. "First blood goes to me." He laughed at the sight of the blood on the sand. "So... you do bleed. That means you are still mortal, and I can kill you!"

Jak, too, was gasping for breath. He was tiring quickly. "You are mortal too." Jak said. "There is still an elf in there somewhere. I can hear your heartbeat... and a machine could never have been effected by Light Eco as it affected you."

"I'll kill you before you kill me!" Erol roared.

Without warning, Jak flipped backwards and hit the solid face of a rock formation feet first, then he launched himself at Erol in a desperate attempt to end the fight then and there. The sword caught Erol's... shoulder? Jak had missed.

Jak leapt away from Erol before he could retaliate. Erol roared in pain and pulled the sword out of his shoulder, and crushed it, completely unaffected by the Light Eco.

"Yes, I've got the tolerance too." Erol said. "When your Precursor friend healed me, he gave me the same immunity you do."

"Tiatin!" Jak growled.

"It seems obvious that this contest won't be decided by our skills with a sword, but by the power of our Eco skills."

Jak sneered. "Where I have the natural advantage, considering I'm a natural-born Channeler, and you're nothing but a genetically-altered freak of technology." Jak said, slowly letting his Dark transformation overtake him.

 _Your turn._ Jak thought at Dark. _I'm giving you full reign... I need to rest. Kill the bastard, if you can._

 **'There's no 'if I can' about it.'** Dark hissed. **'You get your rest. I'd love to kill him.'**

_Remember, Dark Eco has no effect on him. You'll have to get him with your claws._

**'Which makes it all the more fun!'** Dark thought at his host as he took full control and Jak faded down to a small corner of his mind to recharge.

"Are you ready now, Jak?" Erol asked, who had waited patiently for Jak to change.

 **"I am not Jak!"** Dark hissed. **"My host calls me Dark. But you may call me Your Death."**

"Magnificent weapon." Erol said. "Why fight for such a weak creature?" Erol asked.

 **"Don't try to convert me!"** Dark roared. **"My host and I are one and the same. I've felt every pain you've put him through. Even though he is weaker than me, I will fight for him because his death is my death! I feed on his anger and rage, but his pain hurts me also. That's why I fight for him!"**

"A pity." Erol said simply.

The two leapt at each other and Dark instantly slipped under Erol's guard catching him in the stomach with his claws. Erol roared in pain and tried to smash Dark's head in, but Dark was already behind him. Dark kicked him in the small of his back and sent his opponent face-first into the sand.

Erol was up in an instant and threw a poorly-aimed punch that caught Dark in the stomach. Though hardly fazed, it gave Erol the split second he needed. He bodily picked up the Demon and threw him into the nearest rock formation, causing the rock to break in half.

Erol stood up straight, believing that he had won. But if getting thrown into a rock was all it took to bring Jak, or his Dark Side, down, surely someone would have done it long ago.

A loud growl sounded from the rock pile and Dark emerged from the rock, bleeding Dark Eco from wounds that would not heal seeing as he had lost that ability long ago. Erol was too much in shock that Dark had survived to notice Dark's next move. Dark ran straight at Erol, raised a clawed fist, and punched Erol in the throat... an attack reminiscent of when Jak had received his voice years ago.

Erol staggered back, coughing and sputtering. He spat up some blood. **"That is for the pain my host endured for his voice!"** Dark hissed.

Erol suddenly spread his concealed bat-like wings and, before Dark could do anything to stop him, he took to the air.

Dark watched him and growled. **'I can't fly.'** He thought to his alter-egos. **'Pussy?'**

Light was panting with fatigue. _'I... cannot... I'm so... tired... I'm almost out of... Eco...'_

Jak suddenly woke up in the back of his own mind. _Then I'll have to finish this myself without your powers._

 **'You can't! You're spent!'** Dark protested.

 _Yes, I am tired. If we can't stop this soon... I'm afraid I won't be able to carry on._ Jak paused thoughtfully. _Wait! That's it! I'll lure him in by making it seem like I'm finished! Dark, let me take control._

 **'I hope you know what you are doing.'** Dark thought at him, and then he let go of his control on Jak's body.

Jak slowly resurfaced. Almost as soon as he was back to normal. He fell to the sands like he was completely exhausted.

Daxter saw this from a distance. "Jak!" He cried, but he knew that he was helpless to help his best buddy.

"Has this fight taken a bit too much out of you?" Erol asked. "Fine! Allow me to put you out of your misery! Good-bye, Son of Mar!" Erol conjured a Longsword and folded his wings into a dive.

Jak watched his enemy though a slit in his eyes. He watched as Erol came closer and closer... just as he planned. Suddenly, at the last second, Jak rolled out of the Erol's way, was instantly on his feet. And before Erol could recover from his mistake, Jak conjured a Dark Eco sword and sliced one of Erol's wings off.

Erol cried out as the severed wing hit the ground, along with his body, face first in the sand. Jak was on him in an instant, pinning Erol to the ground. Jak had, in all effects, won the fight.

Daxter cheered from his hiding place. The sly old crocadog! Jak had been faking weakness to draw Erol in closer. He was, however, confused as to why Jak didn't just kill Erol. His only explanation was that Jak was not aiming to kill... not yet, at least.

Jak crouched on Erol's back to stop him from getting up, and Jak pressed the Dark Eco blade to the back of his fallen enemy's neck. "I win, cousin." Jak said coldly. "But, before I kill you, I still want the revenge I thirsted for during the torture you put me through. But, I don't just want my revenge... I'm going to avenge all those people who died at your hands in prison." Jak then carefully, almost surgically, drew a long gash across Erol's back with the tip of the Dark sword. Erol cried out as Jak dug deep enough to draw blood. "Number One, Zeb." Jak said. The weapon flashed again, and a second gash appeared. "Number Two, Cutter."

Jak was naming each and every one of the fourteen other men who had died in the Dark Warrior Project, calling each man by his number and name. Each of the dead Warriors received a cut on Erol's back, and a cry from Erol's lips. Jak slowly worked his way through the list. Some names he barely remembered, and some he didn't remember at all. But, still, they were mentioned as 'unknowns'. Jak also skipped over his own number, Eleven, and went straight to twelve. His own revenge would come later.

And then Jak made it to Thirteen. Tears well up in his eyes, despite himself, as he swung the sword back and brought it down in the deepest cut yet, bring the loudest cry from Erol. Jak just hoped that it would be enough to warrant the forgiveness of Sorus' spirit when Jak had killed him with is own hands. "Number Thirteen, Sorus." And, so he continued with the last two losses, avenging the fourteen men who had died in prison.

Now, it was time for the vengeance of the one who had lived through the two years of torture and Dark Eco Poisoning. Jak conjured another sword in his left hand. "And, last of all, me... Number Eleven."

He descended on Erol's back with a flurry, the two weapons a blur as he attacked his enemy. Finally, Jak stopped when Erol's back looked like someone had taken a cheese-grater to it.

"I carry your scars, and you carry mine." Jak said. "My revenge is complete."

Erol would have been in tears if his mechanical body still allowed tears. "What are you going to do now?"

"What do you think I'm going to do? I'm going to kill you now, Erol." Jak said coldly. 'If I don't, our children's children will be dragged into this war. There might be someone out there willing to sing over your dead body... just know that I won't. Good-bye, cousin."

Jak tossed aside one of the Dark Swords and conjured a Light Sword in its place. With an extremely short flourish, Jak stabbed the two contrasting weapons into Erol's heart. Erol let out a shuttering gasp as the swords entered his body. It took several seconds where Jak could practically hear Erol's body try to compensate for the injury. But it was too late... Erol was going to die with an injury like that. It took a few seconds, then Jak heard Erol's breathing stop and his heart come to a shuttering stop. Erol was dead, Jak was sure of it.

Jak pulled to two blades out of Erol's body and let them drop to the sands. "It is done."


	43. Released

Jak dropped the two weapons to the ground and fell to his knees as his fatigue took over. "I'm alive!" He said, almost as if he couldn't believe it.

Daxter ran over to Jak, screaming his head off. "Oh my God! That was the most freaking awesome thing I've ever seen!"

Jak didn't respond to the rat, but remained in silence. He was unsure of how long he knelt there in the desert sands, staring at the dead body of his enemy. One thing was for sure, the sun had moved quite a distance through the sky before his thoughts were interrupted.

"Jak!"

Jak looked around and stood up. A transport had landed without him even realizing it, so absorbed as he in this own thoughts, and none other than Ashelin Praxis got out of the transport. She appeared to be alone. "Ashelin?" Jak asked. "Where's everyone else?"

Ashelin ran up to the elf. "They'll be here in a few minutes. Jak, I'm so glad that you're alive! Is Erol dead?" The she saw the rather mutilated body whose blood had long since stained the desert sands.

"Yes..." Jak said slowly, also looking at the body. "Erol is dead... I'm sure of it this time."

"Jak..." Ashelin paused. "Before everyone arrives, I need to talk to you. I know that this sounds crazy, but I love you." Jak didn't answer or say anything. He had suspected Ashelin's feelings for some time. But he never thought that she'd have the nerve to confess to him when he already had a loving girlfriend... someone he loved with all his heart.

Ashelin seemed to take Jak's silence as an accord. She leapt at the elf and pulled the still surprised elf into an embrace. And then she tried to kiss him and Jak's instincts kicked into overdrive. He turned his face away at the last second so that the kiss that was meant to claim his lips hit his cheek instead.

Ashelin pulled away from the elf, looking hurt. "Jak?"

"Ashelin..." Jak sighed, never imagining that he would've had to do this. "This... this isn't right. This won't work between us. I... I have Keira."

"Keira." Ashelin repeated. "Of course. You love her, don't you?"

"Yes, I do." Jak said. "From where I'm standing, there's nothing between us except friendship. I'm sorry, Ashelin, but I can't forget what Keira and I share. Friendship is all I have to offer to you... nothing more."

"I... I understand." Ashelin said sadly. "You love her, what are you going to do? I can't force you to fall out of love with her."

"Ashelin..." Jak truly felt sorry for having to break Ashelin's heart like this. "I truly am sorry. Perhaps... all you feel for me is a crush. Crushes pass with time. I happen to know that Torn really likes you."

"Torn?" Ashelin scoffed. "I've been down that road before."

"Maybe you should try again." Daxter piped up. "Torn's awfully protective of you."

"Listen, Ashelin, I didn't want to hurt you like this, but..." Jak began.

"Don't worry about me... I'll be fine." Ashelin said as a new transport landed nearby.

The back of the new transport opened and several people came out of the back, all raising various complaints about the heat. Samos, Torn, Tess, Onin, Pecker, and Keira... carrying a bag over her shoulder.

Keira dropped what she was holding on the desert sands at the sight of her lover... safe and sound. "Jak! You're all right!" She ran towards him and tackled the elf, baring both of them to the sand, but neither really cared. They only cared about kissing each other as much as possible. Jak had seen the bag, and he knew what it meant. It meant that Keira had decided to move out to Spargus with him, to live with him... so they could be together. Such happiness, Jak had never known up to that point in his life.

Torn walked up to Ashelin, who watched Jak and Keira with the beginnings of tears in her eyes. "You told him, didn't you?" Torn asked, and Ashelin didn't answer. "Didn't I tell you this would happen?"

"Don't say 'I told you so.'" Ashelin said. Torn looked like he was going to say it out of spite, but he kept it inside.

Samos was inspecting Erol's malformed body. "Great Precursors!" He gasped, staring that the metallic body, the single wing, and the severed wing on the ground not too far away. "What did those Dark Precursors do to him?"

Jak took his mouth off Keira's skin and propped himself up on the sand. "That's what happens when someone's genetics are messed with." He got up off the ground and pulled Keira up, both brushing stray sand off.

Daxter laughed. "Jeez, you've only been apart for... like a day! I understood when you two were apart for months, but... come on! A day?"

"This is different." Jak said. "There was overwhelming doubt of my safe return."

"Hey, no more gloom, Jak!" Daxter said loudly. "The War is over! You're alive! Erol's dead! This calls for a celebration!"

"Quite right!" A new, but familiar voice said.

Everyone looked around towards the voice. Two Precursors stood just at the edge of the group. "Icarath... Tiatin." Jak addressed them.

The more powerful Precursor nodded. "Yes. It is I." He looked over at Erol's body and waved his hand through the air, and the body disappeared. "Everyone deserves a proper burial." He said simply. "So, the War has ended on this planet and this may be the first step to ending this war all over the universe and forever." Jak looked past Icarath at Tiatin, who diminished under the stare of the victorious elf. Icarath noticed this exchange. "Do not be so hard on Tiatin, Great One. He only did what he believed to be right. He is very young, younger than you are, respectively."

"Forgive me, Great One." Tiatin said. "What I did was nigh unforgivable. I nearly was responsible for the doom of my own Champion!"

Even though Jak was immensely surprised that a Precursor, of all beings, was asking his forgiveness, he answered simply. "We all make mistakes."

"Jak, we have one more favor to ask of you." Icarath said. "You are, without a doubt, the greatest of heroes! You have single-handedly turned the tide against the Dark Makers and, together, we shall win this war." While Icarath spoke, a Precursor ship streaked down from the sky, landing noiselessly nearby. "The point is we need heroes like you to help us protect the universe."

"So... what exactly are you asking of me?" Jak asked.

"We are asking you to come with us. The Dark Makers have a terrible hold on many of the planets in the universe. To end this war for good, we'll need to free the planets of that Dark influence and help life begin again." Icarath said.

Jak looked away from the Precursors. "More adventures? Where have I heard that before?" He felt someone touch his arm and he looked around. It was Keira. He looked at her for several seconds and then smiled. He looked back at the Precursors. "I'm sorry. But that is a Precursor problem. I'm an elf... and my place is here."

"I told you he would not accept." Tiatin said to Icarath. "Now, why don't you give him what he really wants?"

Icarath sighed. "The Great One wants the one thing that is very difficult for us to give him, Tiatin."

"Do you not think that he has done enough to repay his debt?" Tiatin asked. "Or do you intend to make him pay for something he had no control of forever?"

Icarath nodded, and then turned to Jak. "You have a debt to pay, Great One... a great debt that could never be fully repaid. You owe this debt to me and my kind." Jak opened his mouth, once again, to ask about this debt. "No, I will not tell you. There exists only one who can tell you. But... you have been a faithful vassal all your life, and you have done great things in that time, all in our name. And so, for your faithful service even in the darkest of time, I consider your debt null and void. You are released from your service, and never again will we trouble you with Precursor problems."

Jak now knew better than to ask, and to just be grateful for the gift. "Thank you." To be polite, he bowed to the Precursor elder.

Icarath turned to Daxter. "And you... not all courage and bravery is measured by your ability to fight your enemies. There are different types of courage. Yours is the courage to stand by your friend's side even through the greatest of dangers. We owe you much for all you've done. For your bravery in the face of incredible danger, we shall grant you your deepest desire."

Everyone stared at the Ottsel to see what he would wish. Jak, Samos, and Keira all believed he would wish to be Elvin again. But he surprised everyone when he opened his mouth. "You know, I could really use a shabby pair of pants... Ottsel-sized."

Icarath, even though he was a mighty Precursor Elder, couldn't help but laugh. "Such a humble wish! This wish is much easier to grant than the Great One's." Icarath waved his hand and Daxter was suddenly in a pair of Ottsel-sized pants that afforded a hole for his tail.

"Yeah! Sexy!" Daxter celebrated, checking out his new pants.

While everyone else was in shock at Daxter's wish, Tess was in amazement for a different reason. "Wow! Those are sharp! I wish I had a pair just like that!"

"Be careful what you wish for." Icarath said.

Jak blinked. "No! Icarath! Don't do it!"

But it was too late. Icarath waved his hand again, there was a flash of light, and a second Ottsel appeared. Everyone stared. It was undoubtedly Tess. Daxter seemed to be happy by this turn of events, as he wolf-whistled. "Don't worry, baby, you'll get used to it. Oh, and you may want to shave some parts... trust me on that." Daxter took the newly-turned Ottsel Tess in his little arms and they were about to kiss when...

"Hey!" Daxter and Tess stopped and they both looked around. It was Jak who had spoken, and he was grinning. "Sorry. I couldn't resist."

"Haha, you're so funny I forgot to laugh!" Daxter said sarcastically.

"Along those lines..." Icarath moved forward towards Jak and Keira, looking between them. "Both of you have a deep Channeler's heritage. Jak, you are one of the most talented Channelers we've ever had the privilege of working with; and Keira... the daughter of a Sage with some Channeling ability yourself. Both of you are connected to the Precursor race through your blood." Icarath looked at Jak. "This connection lets you share some of our more... instinctive traits. As your kind know, we did not marry as you do, but we took Soul-Mates. If there were ever two elves that were Soul-Mates... it would be you two." Icarath took Jak's hands and Keira's hands and intertwined them. Jak watched in wonder, well aware that, at least by Precursor standards, he and Keira were... for lack of a better word... married.

Tiatin spoke. "Good luck, Great One. I hope you enjoy the peace that you've earned. And, fear not for him." Jak understood 'him' to be Damas... his father. "His life was painful, in a different way than yours was. He is truly in a better place. The Precursors long dead will watch over his soul."

"Thank you, Tiatin." Jak said. "This means a lot to me."

"Farewell." Both Precursors said. "And, thank you for your help, Great One." The Precursors vanished and the Precursor ship took off.

Almost immediately, a vehicle, a Spargain vehicle (Keira stared at the vehicle, curiosity shining in her eyes) pulled up. Two men, Sig and Kliever got up out of it. And then they picked up a make-shift stretcher. A sheet covered the person, but Jak _knew_ who was under it.

"Strength, my friend." Daxter said quietly to Jak, in an unusually tender voice.

Sig looked at Jak, a sorrowful anger playing across his face. "He went to save you... and he's dead."

"Don't rub my face in it." Jak said sadly.

"The funeral's tonight." Kliever said. "Tonight, all of Spargus will mourn, for we will bury a King."

 _And a father..._ Jak thought sadly.

"Jak, what's wrong?" Keira asked, noticing how sad her lover looked.

"It's nothing." Jak said automatically, and then he paused. "Well... it's something. I'll tell you tonight."


	44. The Funeral

The Spargain night was filled with the sound of mourning. Sure, it was a happy time since the world was now safe, but the Spargains were mourning the loss of a leader and a King. Jak sat on the roof of his home and listened to the cries that echoed around the City. They were mourning a King, and Jak was alone in the fact that he mourned a father, his biological father that he had never known as well as he would have liked. As Veger had painfully pointed out, Damas was never aware that his long-lost son was under his nose all along.

If only he could have figured it out sooner. If only Damas had mentioned that his last name was Mar, and that he had once fought the Metal-Head Leader. Jak would have been about to figure it out.

Jak heard footsteps and knew instantly who they belonged to... Keira. She walked over silently and sat down next to Jak, who took a small amount of comfort in her presence. They sat in silence for several minutes, both lost in their own thoughts.

Then, as one, the mourning cries died down and they began to sing the Ancient hymn believed to sooth the souls of the dead and comfort the dying.

_"Rhf wlnv_

_Flku inaaq hvw nahuf oahw..."_

Jak couldn't help it. He joined in the song, carefully holding back his tears while Keira listened to his lament... a lament with even more sorrow than the City's combined voices.

_"Vszqo si mhrrsvz_

_Flk ohga jlea_

_Q dlkuvaf'i avw_

_Iraay vln_

_Hvw wuahe_

_Lm qoa tvai nol jhea xamlua_

_Qoaf hua jhrrsvz_

_Mule hjulii_

_Qoa wsiqhvq iolua_

_Nof wl flk naay?_

_Nohq hua qoaia qahui_

_Kylv flk mhja?_

_Illv flk nsrr iee_

_Hrr lm flku mahui_

_Nsrr yhii hnhf_

_Ihma sv ef huei_

_Flk'ua lurf iraaysvz_

_Nohq jhv flk iaa_

_Lv qoa olusplv?_

_Nof wh qoa nosqa zkrri_

_Jhrr?_

_Hjulii qoa iah_

_H yhra ellv usiai_

_Qua iosyi ohga jlea_

_Ql jhuuf flk olea_

_Hvm frr nsrr qkuv_

_Ql isrgau zrhir_

_H rszoq lv qoa nhgau_

_Hrr ilkri yhii_

_Svql qoa Naiq_

_Olya mhwai_

_Svql qoa nlurw lm vszoq_

_Qolkzo iohwlni mhrrsvz_

_Ikq, lm eaeluf hvw qsea_

_Wlv'q ihf_

_Na ohga jlea vln ql qoa avw_

_Nosq ioluai hua jhrrsvz_

_Flk hvw S nsrr eaaq hzhsv_

_Hvm flk'rr xa oaua_

_Sv ef huei_

_Dkiq iraaysvz_

_Nohq jhv flk iaa_

_Lv qoa olusqlv?_

_Nof wh qoa nosqa zkrri_

_Jhrr?_

_Hjulii qoa iah_

_H yhra ellv usiai_

_Qoa isyi ohga jlea_

_Ql jhuuf flk olea_

_Hvem frr nsrr qkuv_

_Ql isrgau zrhii_

_H rszoq lv qoa nhgau_

_Zuaf iosyi yhii_

_Svql qoa Naiq"_

The song ended and it took all of Jak's will power not to cry out in pain... not physical pain, but emotional pain. Keira watched Jak's obvious misery, fully concerned for her lover.

Finally, she spoke. "The Song... who do you sing for?"

Jak stared off into the distance and didn't answer for several seconds. "A great man and my King... my lord." He answered. Then he turned to Keira. "Keira, remember when I told you that I would tell you my secret when we were ready?"

"Yes." Keira answered.

"Well..." Jak paused, turning to face Keira. "I pray to the Precursors this information isn't going your view of me, but I'm..." He paused again, wondering if he should back out. "Keira, I'm royalty."

Keira stared at her lover. "Did you just say 'royalty'?" She asked. Jak nodded. "But... how?"

"Typical way... my father was King before me." Jak said. "Keira... my last name is Mar. I'm a Prince by birth. Technically, I should be ruling either Haven City... or Spargus. My father... King Damas Mar... is the man that I mourn now."

However, only a few words had gotten through to Keira. Damas Mar? His father? Keira was sure she had heard that name before... she thought of Carla... otherwise known as Anastasia, the woman who had taken her in when she had nowhere else to go. "Oh my God!" Keira gasped.

Jak panicked at her reaction. He was afraid that she was doing just what he feared... to see him as a different person and not the man she loved, the man who loved her. "Keira, no matter what my last name is, I'll always be your Jak! Being a Prince doesn't change the way I feel about you!"

Keira noticed Jak's panic and quickly calmed the elf down. "Don't worry." She said. "I still love you, Prince or not. But... what do you know about your mother?"

Jak blinked. "Almost nothing." Jak said. "Just that I, apparently, have inherited her eyes."

Keira remembered thinking that Carla had eyes just like Jak... the same ocean blue. "You don't know her name?"

"No." Jak said, then he glanced at Keira. "Keira, do you know something?"

"I don't know..." Keira said slowly. She leaned up against him and he wrapped an arm around her. Then, within seconds, they were kissing.

Slowly, Jak pulled away from her. "Keira, marry me?" He asked.

The question came as such a surprise that Keira wasn't ready for it. "What?"

"Marry me, Keira." Jak repeated. "I love you with all my heart and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Keira had been having fantasies of Jak proposing to her for the past few weeks, and each time, she imagined herself saying 'yes' right away. But now that it was reality, she hesitated. "Jak... I don't know. We're still so young. I... I mean I love you, but what will our friends think? What will my daddy think?"

"Our friends? Daxter will support us. He's been bugging me to propose to you for months." Jak said. "Anyone else can bite me. And your father... he's already agreed."

"What?"

"I asked your father's permission to marry you." Jak said. "It took a small amount of convincing, but he agreed. Keira, please, say you'll marry me. I... I can't live without you. We'll live out here in Spargus. Please... marry me?"

Keira looked into Jak's hopeful face, and then she smiled. "Yes, Jak, I'll marry you."

Both elves cried out in happiness and embraced each other, kissing each other wildly in their new-found joy.

Daxter watched from a short ways away, listening quietly with a wide grin on his face. Everything had turned out all right after all. He quietly dismissed himself to give the couple a little privacy. Of course, that didn't mean he wasn't going to tell _everyone_ about the happy event.

Yes, after all those years of fights, separation, and love, Jak and Keira were finally going to get married!

* * *

"They are _what_?" Torn demanded later that night. He was still rather uncomfortable in the heat.

"You heard me, Tattoo-Face." Daxter said proudly. "They're engaged!"

"You're lying, rat." Torn said. "I know that Jak loves her and all, but he doesn't seem the type to get hitched."

"Don't doubt it, Torn." Samos said. "He asked me a few days ago for Keira's hand. I've expected this ever since Keira got off the transport. In fact... I've been expecting them to elope."

"Jak? Keira? Elope?" Daxter laughed. "Not likely... but not impossible." Daxter blinked. "I'd better go check on them." He ran out.

Tess sighed. "Oh, it's so romantic!"

Torn stared. "Aren't you even upset that you've been turned into a rat?"

"A little." Tess admitted. "But I've got Daxter."

Torn rolled his eyes, along with most of the people in the room. "Oh brother..."

* * *

Daxter walked back up onto the roof and found that Jak and Keira were _still_ making out.

"Great Precursors!" Daxter exclaimed. "I know you two are happy and all, but isn't this a bit much?" The couple pulled away from each other. "Well, now that I've got your attention... congrats on the engagement! Everyone is really happy for you two!"

"What?" Jak asked in surprise. "How could they know that Keira and I are engaged now?" Jak suddenly paused, and then glared at his friend. "Daxter!"

Daxter laughed. "Heehee. Guilty as charged. Well, I was just coming up here to make sure you two didn't try to elope or anything."

"Elope?" Keira asked.

"Eloping? Not a bad idea." Jak said. "I've got connections with the Precursor Temple, you know."

"Jak!"

"I'm joking!"

Keira sighed. "Well... might as well go down there and face everyone."

"Keira... I'd face anything with you."

"Oh pul-ease!" Daxter moaned.

Jak got up and offered Keira a hand. She accepted it and he pulled her up off the ground easily. Daxter jumped up onto Jak's shoulder and the elf put his other arm around Keira.

"Hey, remember when we were all 'just friends' back in Sandover?" Daxter asked suddenly.

"What do you mean 'remember'?" Jak asked. "That was three years ago."

"Yeah, it's amazing how a group of friends can change in three years." Daxter said. "I mean, look at you two. You guys are going to get married! It's kind of sad, though. I hope you two won't forget about me in the midst of your loving marriage."

Jak and Keira laughed. "We'll never forget about you, Dax." Jak said. "You are my best friend after all."

"Same here." Keira agreed.

"Besides, we couldn't ignore you even if we tried." Jak laughed. "I'm sure you'll interrupt us many more times in the future."

"Haha, you're probably right about that." Daxter laughed.

"Come on, let's go face everyone." Jak said, walking back into the small house. They were instantly greeted by everyone. Most offered their congratulations, while some, like Torn, kept voicing his opinion that Jak wasn't the type to get married. And, no matter how many times Jak told Torn that he was getting married, Torn refused to believe it. The elf had a feeling that Torn wouldn't believe Jak until he witnessed Jak and Keira's wedding.

But it didn't matter. Nothing could bring Jak down tonight. Not even Damas' death.

Later that night, Keira snuck away from the group and her new fiancee. She moved into a small corner and pulled out a small communicator and punched in a number.

A female voice answered. "Hello?"

"Carla? It's me, Keira." Keira said quietly. One would think that, since Carla had been the first person to really encourage Keira to pursue her feelings for Jak, she would be bursting to tell her that they were engaged. Instead, however, she merely said: "Listen, how fast can you get out to Spargus?"


	45. A Family Reunited

The next morning was an absolutely beautiful Spargain morning. It was still too early for it to be really hot. Keira smiled warmly to herself. All her troubles seemed to melt away when she was being held by Jak after a long night of passion. She could feel his strong arms wrapped loosely around her naked upper body with his bare chest pressed against hers.

She looked up into her lover's face, expecting to see those deep, blue eyes looking back at her. But she didn't see them. In fact, it amused her to find that Jak was still asleep.

It did give her the time she need to think about things in general. She still could hardly believe that they were engaged. Jak's proposal seemed like a dream, as did the night before. But it was real, Keira was sure of that.

And she pondered Jak's last name, and what it could mean for the both of them. As Jak had put it, he was royalty. It completely blew her mind that the man she had loved since she was very young, a man who had lived the life of a country bumpkin, prisoner, rebel, and outcast, had once been a Prince! Keira laughed quietly to herself. Jak was one man who had lived on _all_ sides of the tracks.

What would happen if Haven or Spargus found out that Jak was the sole heir to their thrones? Well... Haven wouldn't care. They hated Jak and didn't welcome the thought of a single man having all the power in their society. But Spargus was a different matter all together. From the sounds of the mourning City last night, to what Jak had told her, Damas, his father, had been a deeply respected King and ruler of Spargus, and there were men who would've died for him... like Jak. If they ever found out that Jak was Damas' son, he would definitely be pressured to take the throne and crown that, in all respects, belonged to him.

Suddenly, she felt Jak's grip tighten on her upper body. She looked up at him and smiled when she saw that he was now awake.

Jak smiled a slow and lazy smile that reminded Keira of a younger Jak. She nearly melted into his embrace. "Morning." He said simply.

The she-elf stretched briefly and the couple shifted slightly until both were comfortable again. "Morning, Jak." She said with a smile.

Jak pulled the she-elf closer to himself, wanting to keep her as close as possible. "I love you, Keira." He breathed, pressing his lips to hers, remembering the love and passion of the night before.

When Jak pulled away, Keira smiled back at him. "I love you, too." She said, running her hands over Jak's back. She could still feel the knotted scars that covered his back... scars that would probably never fade... scars he would carry for as long as he lived.

Jak sighed as the she-elf traced a livid scar with her fingers. "Somehow, I thought they would disappear when Erol was dead and my revenge complete." He paused. "I was wrong. I guess I will be forced to carry Erol's scars forever."

"I've told you before..." Keira said. "You can't blame yourself for that. And besides, I love you, all of you... scars and all."

Jak smiled. "Thank you, Keira. You have no idea how much that means to his part demon/part angel freak." He kissed her again, moving his upper body until it was draped over hers as he continued to kiss her.

"You evil tease." Keira hissed when he pulled away.

Jak laughed. "Would you prefer I do this?" He grinned evilly as he moved so he hovered over her body, and he continued to, not only continue their lip-lock, but he planted kisses up and down the column of her throat.

"Yes..." Keira breathed. "I like this much better."

Sunlight began to stream through the window, illuminating the small room and the she-elf, through her love-haze that fogged her brain, noticed how bright it was. She playfully pushed her new fiancee off her. "What?" Jak asked.

"What time is it?" Keira asked.

Jak looked out the small window and at the Wasteland sun, which was just beginning to show through the window. "Seven o'clock?" He estimated.

"Oh no!" Keira sat up swiftly, not even bothering to grab at the sheets that fell off her chest. "Come on, Jak, you lazy bum, we've got to go!"

Jak sat up too and wrapped his arms around the she-elf, holding her in place from behind. "Go where? We've got nothing to do. Stay here with me."

"No!" Keira protested as he tried to nibble on the edge of her ear. "We have to get up!"

"No we don't. Stay with me."

"I've got a surprise for you." Keira said suddenly.

Jak stopped trying to pleasure her to look in her face. "A surprise?"

"And all you have to do is get up and get dressed."

Jak considered this offer for a few seconds. Not a lot to think about, really. "Fine." He said, pretending that it wasn't that big of a deal. Both elves got up from the bed they now shared and began to dress, Jak occasionally gave Keira advice on how to desert in the desert environment. After all, Keira wasn't used to the head yet. But, with time, she would, just as Jak had.

Finally, both were clothed in appropriate desert appeal, and they left the room, hand-in-hand, glancing lovingly at each other from time to time.

Daxter was already awake, which in itself was rather unusual. He looked up at the couple as they entered and grinned boyishly as he sensed the invisible connection between the two lovers. "Hey, you two crazy love-birds! How was the night?"

"It was great." Jak said off-handedly.

"Come on, Jak!" Keira insisted. "We've got to go!" She went out the door without Jak.

Daxter stared at the door that Keira had just exited through. "You two ain't eloping, are you?" He asked.

"Nah. Keira wouldn't have it." Jak said. "She's insisting on a traditional wedding."

"So..." Daxter paused. "Did it finally happen?"

"What?"

"Did Keira give it up to you?" Daxter asked. "Have you two finally lost your virginity?"

"Dax!" Jak hissed. "I did not lose my virginity last night!"

There was a slight pause as Daxter stared at his buddy. "There's no way you can tell me that when you two practically scream 'lovers'!" Daxter yelled.

Jak laughed. "No, I lost my virginity ages ago." Jak said. "Last night was just good, old-fashioned love-making."

" _What_?"

"Bye, Dax, I have to go." Jak said quickly, running out the door to join his waiting fiancee. He would never keep Keira waiting for long... he wouldn't keep his future bride waiting...

Almost as soon as he was outside, Keira grabbed him by the arm. "Come on!" She urged.

"What's the rush?" Jak asked, laughing, and allowing himself to be pulled off down the dusty streets. Finally, Keira pulled the slightly confused elf into a hotel. "Keira? You do know that I have a _house_ here in Spargus. We don't need a hotel."

Keira rolled her eyes. "Jak!" She drawled. "Stop it, you big dork!" It was almost like they were children again, what with the innocent calling of names. But, at least it wasn't like when they were fighting. Jak had been called a 'Freak' more times than he could count, but he had never been too bothered by it. He was a freak, it was just simple as that. But when Keira had called him a freak... that one hurt more than all the other times combined. Jak shoved those thoughts aside as Keira spoke again. "Now, can you give your insatiable appetite a rest? There's someone that you _have_ to meet!"

"Who?" Jak asked as Keira pulled him down the hall, counting rooms, until she came to a certain one. She stopped in front of the door and knocked. After a second, the door opened and Keira pulled Jak into the room.

At first, the only thing Jak saw was a normal-looking hotel room, then he noticed a woman that stood by the window. She turned around and Jak gasped. He looked at Keira. "Your friend, Carla?" He asked. "But... I've met her before."

It was, indeed, Carla. The same woman who took Keira in three years ago when she had nowhere else to go. She was a woman in her early thirties. She had ocean-blue eyes and blonde hair with just a few hints of gray that were the evidence of the years of pain that had aged her beyond her normal span.

"Keira? Jak?" She asked, having known Jak on a superficial level, and mostly knowing him as Keira's boyfriend.

"Carla..." Keira began. "I'm sorry for what I'm about to do." Jak stared at his fiancee, confused. "What you told me long ago, you told me in confidence. But... all secrets must now be revealed."

Suddenly, Carla's facial expression changed from confusion to a mixture of fear and anger. "Keira, don't!" She ordered.

"Jak..." Keira plowed on. "Meet Queen Anastasia Mar, the former queen of Haven City and King Damas'... wife."

Time seemed to stop in the small hotel room. Nobody in the room even breathed. Jak was in shock, very much like when he finally discovered that his father was Damas. But if Carla, now only to be known as Anastasia, had been Damas' wife... than that could only mean that the woman that stood before him was his...

"Mother." Jak whispered, barely audible. He could see it now. Eyes that he got from his mother... Anastasia's eyes were exactly the same shade as his own.

Anastasia stared at Jak. "What did you say?" She asked quietly.

"I... I called you Mother." Jak stuttered, completely unsure of himself.

Anastasia stared at Jak. "No, your not my little boy. He should be seven years old now... if... if he's still alive."

Jak opened his mouth to say something, but his voice had failed him again. He couldn't get anything out. So, Keira stepped forward to plead his case in his place. "It's a long story, Anastasia, one involving time travel. But Jak is your long-lost son."

Jak seemed to get his voice back again, and he pulled out the Seal of Mar that Damas had given him. Anastasia recognized it instantly. "Damas was my father." He said in a rather subdued voice, as if his voice would give out on him any second. "Before he died he gave me this Seal and told me to find his son." He then pulled out the mostly identical Seal that his younger self had given him. Anastasia recognized that one too. "This is the Seal that belongs to me... to forever remind me that I am a Prince with no past."

But Anastasia was still skeptically. "Anyone could have given you that Seal."

"Ana..." Keira began, but Jak stopped her.

He took a single step towards her, humming a tune... a lullaby. Anastasia froze. Then, Jak began to sing quietly the words that went with the tune.

"From the time when I was young

I prayed for a child to call my own."

Both Anastasia and Keira stared at Jak, both with very different thoughts. This song reminded Keira of Jak's lament last night... so full of sorrow.

Jak continued his song:

"But now that the day has come to me

I wish it wasn't so..."

Anastasia joined in, singing the sorrowful lullaby with tears in her eyes, eyes that looked so much like Jak's.

"It's not that I don't love you

My precious baby boy

But what the Fates have planned for you

It rips my heart in two

How could the Fates be so cruel

To take my little boy?"

Tears began to flow down Anastasia's cheeks. "I sang that song once... only once. Soon after my son's second birthday. It happened so long after the Soothsayer told me the Prophecy that destined my son's fate... how he would lead a life filled with pain, anger, and sorrow... to fill a greater destiny. No one else ever heard the song... only my son. Not even Damas heard a word of it." She paused, more tears falling down her face. "I don't know how it's possible, but you must be my son! You must be my little Mar..." Suddenly, she embraced Jak.

Jak, who had never known a mother besides Daxter's mother, was unsure how to handle the situation. But he embraced his long-lost mother, regardless. "And my name is 'Jak', Mother." Jak said. "Damas wished it."

Keira watched as reunited Mother and Son embraced and smiled to herself. Jak had given her his love and so much more. She had given him her own love and his family back. She knew that, for Jak especially, that the situation would be difficult to cope with for a while. She also knew that challenges lay ahead of them. She knew that even loving marriages could be riddled with misfortune.

But as she looked at the man she loved, her light, her love, her Champion, her fiancee, all those worries drifted away.

Anastasia and Jak pulled out of each other's embrace. Jak looked over at Keira. "Thank you for bringing me here." He said, and meant it. He moved over to her, taking her in his arms, and kissed her.

Keira sighed as his firm lips moved over hers and she complimented his motions. The War of the Champions was finally over and the years ahead contained only mysteries. But she didn't care. Come what may. She knew that she could face anything, she could live through anything, as long as Jak Mar, her real-life Prince Charming, was at her side.

So... childhood friends turn into teenage lovers and transform into engaged adult couple. Of all the transformations one could undergo, love is the most beautiful and powerful of all.

Jak pulled away slowly, smiling sexily. "I love you, Keira, with all my heart."

Keira smiled back. "I love you too, Jak."

And they sealed this vow with a kiss, giving each other a wordless vow of everlasting love.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FIN.


End file.
